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I LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

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-. |ofigri#i |lo 

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i UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. J 



THE 

WONDERS OF THE EAST; 



RECORD OP A JOURNEY 

THROUGH EUROPE, EGYPT, 



HOLY LAND. 



REV. «J. J. SMITH, 23.13. 



QltiV .AAA* 



A 

E. GOODENOUGH, No. 122 NASSAU STREET. 
1873. 



3 



4 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year one thousand eight 
hundred and seventy-three, 
By J. J. SMITH, 
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 



John J. Reed, Printer, 43 Centre-St., N. Y. 



I^E FACE. 



The author of this volume deems it due to him- 
self, as well as the reader, to state that he has not 
attempted in the following pages to write critical 
or elaborate dissertations on the vexed questions 
of the geography, chronology, or history of struc- 
tures and locations. Those who wish to see learned 
disquisitions on antiquity, and the rival claims of 
holy places, must seek them elsewhere. 

The origin of the book is simply as follows : The 
author had long cherished an earnest desire to see 
the wonders of the East ; to gaze upon old tem- 
ples, crumbling arches, broken columns, monu- 
mental piles, obelisks, sphynxes, pyramids, and es- 
pecially upon the sacred places of Palestine, and 
thereby prepare himself for greater usefulness in 
his profession. 

These considerations led him to make a tour of 
the East— an account of which was published at 
the time in a series of Letters in the Methodist Re- 
corder. The favorable manner in which they were 
received, and the earnest solicitations of numerous 
friends to put them in a more permanent form, 
have led to the publication of the present volume. 

Although, at first sight, it might seem super- 
fluous to add another book to the numerous list of 
publications of this kind already before the public, 
yet it should be borne in mind that many of such 
works are too expensive for general circulation. 
Others are too critical and technical for common 
people. It is also presumable that each traveler 
will see some things in a new light or aspect, and 
that each succeeding tourist will necessarily return 
with the later discoveries and revelations of this 



iv 



Preface. 



wondrous land. Besides, from the circumstances 
of authorship, acquaintances, social and ecclesias- 
tical relations, the author believes his work will 
reach hundreds that no similar publication would 
be likely to find. 

In his travels in the Holy Land, he saw in its 
topography, customs, and usages of society, much 
that serves as a key to the better understanding of 
the Scriptures. It has accordingly been his design 
to so connect what he saw with the narratives and 
parables of the Bible as to explain many important 
texts of Holy Writ. In this way, some hundred 
and thirty passages have been referred to, many of 
which have received, in his observations, a beauti- 
ful solution. 

In these Letters, which have now been revised, 
corrected, and in some instances enlarged, so as 
to embrace some additional important matter, the 
author has aimed to describe what he saw in the 
most concise and familiar style, so as to give the 
reader the plain unvarnished truth. As the Holy 
Land was the main object of his tour, his sketches 
of the various places he visited in Europe were in- 
tentionally very brief, embracing only their leading 
features ; and although he has been more minute 
in his description of what he saw in Palestine, yet 
he has sought to give the reader multum in parvo ; 
and he fully believes that there is no work of the 
same size, designed for general circulation, that 
contains more information than the present vol- 
ume. Hoping that it may contribute toward 
spreading among the people a better knowledge of 
the customs, usages, topography, and geography of 
the Holy Land, the author confidingly places it 
before the public. J. I. s. 



pONTENTS. 



LETTER L 

Crossing the Atlantic. 
Anticipations — Separations — Feelings — Sea-Sickness— 
High Winds and Seas — Grandeur of the Ocean — 
Reflections 13-17 

LETTER II. 

Pencilings in Ireland. 
Queenstown — Cork — Blarney Castle — Interview with a 
Catholic Priest — Kildare — Dublin — Its Leading 
Features— Boyne— Belfast 17-25 

LETTER III. 

What I Saw in Scotland. 
Glasgow — Its Cathedral and other places of Interest — 
Edinburgh — Its Castle — Holyrood Palace — Mu- 
seum, etc 25-35 

LETTER IV. 

Sights in and about London. 
London — A Funeral — St. Paul's Cathedral — West- 
minster Abbey — Its History — Its Eoyal Tombs — 
The Poet's Corner— England's Mighty Dead 36-45 

LETTER V. 

Sights in and about London — Continued. 
The Tower — Horse Armory — White Tower— Prison and 
Instruments of Torture — Noted Victim — Place of 
Execution — Jewel Office — Crowns and Sceptres — 
British Museum — Nimrod and Layard Saloons — 
The Rosetta Stone— Bunhill Fields — Tombs of Dis- 
tinguished Personages .45 -57 



vi 



Contents. 



LETTER VI. 

Sights in and about London — Continued. 
Westminster Palace — Eoyal Gallery — House of Lords — 
Peers' Lobby, etc — Central Hall — Westminster Hall 
— Windsor Castle — St. George's Chapel — Eoyal 
Tombs — Bound Tower— Eoyal Stables and Public 
Grounds 58-67 



LETTER VII. 

Sketches on the Rhine. 
Rotterdam — Wind-mills — Ship-Canals — Statue of Eras- 
mus — Dykes — Dusseldorf — Cologne — Its Churches 
— Mrs. Adocht's Burial and Eesurrection — The 
Cathedral — Bonn — Drachenpels — Eolandseck — A 
Famous Love-Story — Mayence — Frankfort — G ti- 
leries of Art— The Cathedral 67-76 

LETTER VIII. 

Sketches on the Rhine — Continued. 
City of Worms — Luther's Heroism — His Statue— Heidel- 
berg — Its Castle, etc., etc — Strasburg — Its War 
Scars — Tombs — Cathedral — Astronomical Clock — 
Bale— The Alps— Geneva 77-86 

LETTER IX. 

Scenes in Italy, — From Geneva to Venice. 
Mt. Cenis Tunnel — Turin — Churches — Palace — Coun- 
try Scenery — Milan — Its Cathedral — Painting of the 
Last Supper — Ancient Tombs — Library— Verona — 
Venice — Gondolas — Church of St. Mark — The 
Doge's Palace— Bridge of Sighs— Eialto 87-95 

LETTER X. 

From Venice to Borne. 
Country View — Florence — Its Churches — The Pitti 
Palace — Pisa — Leaning Tower — Campo Santo— 
Eome— The Coliseum— Arch of Titus— Old Euins 



Contents. 



vii 



— Palace of Caracul a — Heathen Temples— Palace 
of the Caesars — Golden House of Nero — Pan- 
theon 95-107 

LETTER XL 

Sights in and about Rome. 
St. Peter's — The Vatican — The Pope's Extravagance 
and Tyranny — St. John's Lateran— Scala Santa — 
Luther's Decision — A Better Future 108-117 

LETTER XII. 

Pompeii and Herculaneum. 
Mount Vesuvius — Its Eruptions — Pompeii — Its De- 
struction — Its Discovery — Its Streets — Houses — 
Shops — Public Buildings— Its Cemetery 118-128 

LETTER XIII. 

Pompeii and Herculaneum — Continued. 
Pompeii — Its Museum and Skeletons — Diomede's Man- 
sion and Family — Places and Positions in which 
Skeletons were Found — Reflections — Herculaneum 
—A Theatre— House of Argus— The Library. . .129-136 

LETTER XIV. 

Naples. 

Its Churches — Its Wonderful Museum — Its large Collec- 
tions from Pompeii and Herculaneum — Astounding 
Revelations of the Morals of their former Inhabi- 
tants— Puteoli 137-146 

LETTER XV. 

From Naples to Alexandria. 

A Storm — Island of Crete — Landing at Alexandria — 
The People — The City's former Grandeur — Obe- 
lisks — Pompey's Pillar — Catacombs, etc. .... ..146-155 



viii 



Contents, 



LETTER XVI. 

Egypt. 

From Alexandria to Cairo — Scenes by the Way — Cairo 
— Its Inhabitants — Streets — Houses — Citadel — 
Joseph's Well — Mosque of Ali — Horrid Treachery 
and Slaughter by M. Ali — A fine View — Heliopolis 
— Temple of Hassen — Temple of Tayloon 155-165 

LETTER XVII. 

Egyptian Scenes and Wonders. 
Tombs of the Caliphs— The Nile— Pasha's Palace— The 
Pyramids — Their Immense Size — Sphynx — A Tem- 
ple — Memphis — Farming — Mud Huts, etc — From 
Cairo to Suez— The Country — Suez — The Bed Sea 
—The Tide 166-176 

LETTER XVIII. 

What I Saw in the Holy Land. 
Discouraging Reports from Palestine — Jaffa — Popula- 
tion — Streets — An Old Town — Its Historical Inci- 
dents — Eamleh — Lydda — Plains of Sharon — Ajalon 
— Terebinth — Emmaus — The Mountains — Jeru- 
salem—Church of the Holy Sepulchre 176-183 

LETTER XIX. 

Bethlehem. 

Farm of Boaz — Shepherd's Grotto — The place of 
Christ's Birth — Stable and Manger — Pools and 
Gardens of Solomon — Cave of Adullum — Etam — 
Tomb of Eachel 183-187 

LETTER XX. 

Trijp to the Dead Sea and the Jordan. 
A Rough Boad— Marsaba— A Scene of Desolation— The 
Dead Sea — A Swim — The Sea's Appearance and 
Character — The Jordan— Its Size— Old Gilgal — 
Pisgah — Jericho — The Wilderness — An Ancient 
Inn 188-199 



Contents. 



ix 



LETTER XXT. 

Jerusalem. 

Its History and Topography — Origin Unknown — Very 
Ancient — Captured by David — Stormed by Shishak 
— By Nebuchadnezzar — By Titus — Its Topography 
— Mount Zion— Moriah — Bezetha— Akra— Tyro- 
pean Valley— Gihon Valley 199-208 

LETTER XXII. 

Jerusalem as it now is. 

Its walls — Houses — Streets — Lamps — Population — 
Classes and Sects — Public Buildings — Tower of 
Hippicus 208-216 

LETTER XXIII. 

Holy Places in Jerusalem. 

The Via Dolorosa — The Sepulchre— Its Decorations — 
The Sepulchre not as I expected — Calvary— The 
Crucifixion 216-227 

LETTER XXIV, 

Is the Sepulchre now shown the true Sepulchre of Christ t 

Difficulties in Settling the Question — Testimony of the 
Evangelist — Tradition — What Enemies Did — Quo- 
tations from Spencer, Williams, Ferguson, and 
Olin 227-235 

LETTER XXV. 

Jerusalem— Continued. 
Mount Moriah — Temple Area — Mosque of Omar — Sa- 
cred Bock — Excavations — Solomon's Stables — 
Sea Under the Temple — The Jewish Place of Wail- 
ing at the Base of the Temple Wall — A Singular 
Document found in one of its Crevices — Its Trans- 
lation — Strange Bevelations of Jewish Customs — 
An Old Aqueduct — Fountain of Hezekiah 235-249 



X 



Contents. 



LETTER XXVI. 

Around Jerusalem — Valley of Jehoshaphat. 

The Tomb of Absalom— The Tomb of Jehoshaphat— 
Tomb of St. James — Tomb of Zacharia— Whited 
Sepulchres — Fountain of the Virgin — Pool of 
Siloam — Mount of Corruption— Well of Job — Hill 
of Evil Council — Aceldama— Valley of Hinnom — 
Pool of Gihon — Tombs of the Kings — Tombs of 
the Judges 249-263 

LETTER XXVII. 

Outside of Jerusalem, 
Tomb of the Virgin Mary — Garden of Gethsemane — 
Top of Olivet — Magnificent View — Reflections — 
Bethany — Its Appearance — Lazarus' Tomb — Road 
to Jerusalem — The Fig Tree— Spreading of Gar- 
ments in the Way — Here Jesus Wept over Jerusa- 
lem 263-272 

LETTER XXVIII. 

Northward in Palestine. 

Preparation to leave Jerusalem — Discouragements — 
Securing a Dragoman — How to make a Contract — 
Our Outfit — Feeling of Sadness — Roads — Site of 
Nob— Mizpeh— Gibeon— Gibeah 272-285 

LETTER XXIX. 

Northwest through Palestine. 
Ramah — Bethel — Its Ruins — What it now is — The 
Country — Farming — The Mountains — Arabs — Old 
Paths— Old Customs— Fields and Vineyards. . . .285-296 



LETTER XXX. 

Northward in Palestine. 
Shiloh— Plain of Moreh— Jacob's Well— Tomb of Jos- 
eph—Valley of Shechem— Mount Gerizim and 



Contents. 



xi 



bal— City of Shechem — City of Samaria— Its Ex- 
tensive Ruins— Rough Roads — Plowing and Sow- 
ing ... 296-307 

LETTER XXXL 

From Samaria to Galilee, 

Gabriel's Mishap— The Muleteer's Adventure— Dothan 

—Reflections— Mount Hermon 307-314 

LETTER XXXII. 

Tour through Galilee. 
An Arab House — Parable of the Lost Coin — Plains of 
Esdrelon — The Spring Harod — Mount Gilboa — 
Jezreel — Naboth's Vineyard — Shunem — Nain — En- 
dor— Mount Tabor .314-329 

LETTER XXXIII. 

From Nazareth to Tiberias. 
Cana — The Corn Field of Christ and His Disciples — 
First View of the Sea of Galilee — Our Quarters — 
Tiberias — Its Warm Springs — Sea of Galilee — Re- 
flections — My Supper — Arab Customs in Eating 
and Sleeping 329-339 

LETTER XXXIV. 

A Night in Tiberias. 
A Story of Robbery — Visitors and my Alarm — Lodg- 
ings—Farewell to the Sea of Galilee— Mount of 
Beatitudes — The Slavery of Women — Gabriel's 
Courtship and Difficulties— Beside Still Waters . 339-348 

LETTER XXXV. 

Scenes in Galilee. 
Dividing the Sheep from the Goats— How, and why it 
is done— Our Quarters for the Night— The House 
and its Inmates, including the Hens and my Horse 
—The' Family and Fleas— A Sleepless Night. . ..348-357 



xii 



Contents. 



LETTER XXXVI. 

Scenes in Northern Galilee. 
Farming Utensils — Season of Plowing — No "Wagons or 
Bridges— The Weather — Manner,of Collecting Salt 
— An Explanation of — "If the Salt have Lost its 
Savor" — Climate— Birth of Christ— A Telegraph — 
Woodland 357-367 

LETTER XXXVII. 

Northern Galilee. 
Acre — Its History — Its Present Appearance — Syrian 
Sheep — Syrian Goats— Caifa— My Settlement with 
Gabriel 367-375 

LETTER XXXVIII. 

Mount Oarmel. 
Its Associations — Home of Elijah — The Terrible 
Drought— The Great Trial— Elijah's Triumph— The 
People Reclaimed — The Destruction of the Proph- 
ets of Baal— The Descent of Rain 375-382 

LETTER XXXIX. 

My Experience in Palestine. 
The Superior Interest of the Holy Land — My Toil and 
Privations— Food, etc. — My Constant Fear and 
Anxiety- Final Satisfaction 382-390 

LETTER XL. 

Embarkation for Asia Minor. 

Bay of Acre— Method of Loading and Unloadiag Ves- 
sels — My Trouble with an Arab who carried me 
through the Surf— His rascally extortion— Difficulty 
with a Lighter's Crew— Threaten to use my Pistol. 



ONDERS OF THE tLAST. 



LETTEK I. 

CROSSING THE ATLANTIC. 

Anticipations, — Separations. — Feelings. — Sea- 
Sickness. — High Winds and Seas. — Grandeur 
of the Ocean. — Reflections. 

ON the 23d of September, 1871, 1 sailed from 
New York, on the steamer France, for the 
Eastern World — especially for the Holy Land. 
That day is among the most memorable of my 
life. It had long been looked forward to with 
such feelings and interest that such a journey 
alone can inspire. Notwithstanding the amount 
of preparation required for so long an absence 
from home and friends, I felt the time to drag 
slowly along as I waited for the day to arrive 
upon wdiich I was to take the first important 
step toward the consummation of my long- 
cherished hopes. 

At length, however, the morning came when 
farewell words were to be spoken ; when sup- 
pressed utterances would tell of the pent-up 
emotions within. I had, however, so schooled 



Wonders of the East. 



my feelings and prepared my mind that I was 
enabled to bear up, under all, very heroically, 
until after I had stepped on board the noble 
steamer that was to bear me away. Even the 
oft-repeated "Good-by," "God bless you," and 
parting greetings of friends and near and loved 
ones who had accompanied me to the ship, were 
interchanged with self-possession ; but when the 
gang-planks were shoved from the vessel, and 
the lines were pulled in, and the bell was rung 
for the last time, and the stentorian command 
of the captain came to go ahead 5 and the huge 
monster of the deep began to move in obedience 
to her ponderous engine ; then, as we left the 
pier, and the hands and handkerchiefs of loved 
ones were waved, and the thought of long ab- 
sence and the sad changes that time might 
bring, etc., — as these and kindred thoughts 
rushed through my mind, my feelings became 
too strong for my resolution, and, in spite of all, 
my eyes became dimmed with tears. I had 
often separated with friends before, but never 
with such strange emotions as now. There was 
a commingling of conflicting feelings of sadness 
and joy that I will not attempt to describe. 

This is our tenth day at sea. The passage, 
thus far, has been attended with the usual 
monotony of sea life. Nothing has occurred to 
mar the pleasure of the trip except the accus- 
tomed ordeal of sea-sickness among the passen- 
gers, and I have been fortunate enough to es- 



Crossing the Atlantic. 



IS 



cape that. The weather has been most of the 
time pleasant, so as to admit the ladies to spend 
at least a portion of their time on deck, where 
they have whiled away the hours by watching 
the stormy petrels that seem to be constantly 
on the wing, hovering about in the wake of the 
ship. This pleasant state of things, however, 
was destined to interruption. On Monday, Oc- 
tober 2d, the wind, which had been blowing 
from the west and northwest for some three 
days and nights, with a strong, stiff breeze, ma- 
terially increased. The sea, which had been 
gradually increasing during the time, now piled 
tip in most magnificent style. I had never seen 
the ocean lashed into such fury before. Several 
seas were shipped. The dining-saloon, which is 
on the main deck, was on one occasion flooded. 
Some of the passengers became more or less 
bruised by being pitched from one side to the 
other. I did not altogether escape, in this re- 
spect, myself. Of all earthly things, there is 
nothing grander or mightier than the ocean. 
Nothing of all terrestrial objects presents to the 
mind the idea of immensity so impressively as 
the deep, vast, boundless waste of waters. As 
the eye roves southward and eastward, and 
westward and northward, in every direction, far 
out in the hazy indistinctness where water and 
sky meet and blend, the same moving, heaving, 
undulating billows roll. 'No grander sight can 
meet the eye than the thousands of foam-crested 



ID 



Wonders of the East. 



waves, towering and sweeping onward before 
the furious blast of some angry tempest. Amid 
the ceaseless changes of earth by the hand of 
time, and the rise and fall of kingdoms, the 
decay and waste of empires, the revolutions of 
nations, the ocean changes not. From age to 
age its storm-tossed waves have rolled. How 
appropriate and impressive the words of Byron : 

"Roll on, thou deep and dark blue ocean, roll; 
Ten thousand fleets sweep over thee in vain. 
Man marks the earth with ruin ; his control 
Stops with the shore ; upon the watery plain 
The wrecks are all thy deed, nor doth remain 
A shadow of man's ravage save his own, 
"When, for a moment, like a drop of rain, 
He sinks into thy depths with bubbling groan, 
Without a grave, unknelled, uncoffined, and unknown." 

How many thousands of the human family 
have gone down amid storms and tempests 
beneath its dark blue waves — down into those 
waveless, stormless depths, where mystery holds 
her throne. As no human power could save 
them, so now no human power can reach them ; 
no friend or loved one can mark the spot where 
they slumber, or strew their graves with flowers. 
Yet one eye can pierce those awful depths — their 
deepest, darkest caverns ; one arm can reach 
these human forms, however widely scattered; 
one voice can break the awful silence there, and 
wake these slumberers from their long repose. 
And that voice shall at length be heard, and 



Pencilings in Ireland, 17 



that arm shall be stretched out, and the sea as 
well as the land shall give up its dead at the 
last day. Ocean's waves "may triumph over 
them for a season ; but the time has been fixed, 
in the councils of Eternity, that the sea shall 
give up her dead. 

It is now Wednesday morning, October 4th. 
The coast of Ireland is in full view, and presents 
a somewhat rugged appearance, and so denuded 
of trees as to look bleak and barren. As we 
are now steaming up into the harbor of Queens- 
town, the appearance is very fine. Here are 
two large steamers that have arrived from 
Liverpool, bound for New York, that are now 
waiting for the mail and passengers. As our 
letters are called for, I am compelled to close 
for the present. 



LETTER II. 

PENCILINGS IN IRELAND. 

Queenstown. — Cork. — Blarney Castle. — Inter- 
view with a Catholic Priest. — Kildare. — 
Dublin — Its Leading Features. — Boyne. — 
Belfast. 

QUEENSTOWN.— There is nothing of spe- 
cial interest in Queenstown, except it be 
the fact that it is built on the side of a very 



iS 



Wonders of the East. 



steep hill which rises abruptly from the water, 
nearly at an angle of 45°, which gives it a pic- 
turesque appearance from the harbor. From 
Queenstown I went by steamboat to Cork. The 
river scenery is very fine. Cork lies on both 
sides of the river Lee, which is here spanned by 
nine bridges. The city is surrounded with high 
hills, which must ever render it, in a military 
point of view, defenceless. It has a population 
of some 79,000, and is called one of the most 
beautiful cities in Ireland. While this may be 
true of some portions of it, it is certainly not 
true of all. Among its leading objects of in- 
terest may be reckoned the Mansion House, the 
Royal Cork Institution, Court House, the Ca- 
thedral, and the old church of Shandon, with 
its one hundred and twenty feet tower, two 
sides of which are limestone, and the other two 
red sandstone. From its top, as well as from 
the top of the cathedral, I had a fine view of 
the city. 

I have been very much interested in my visit 
to Blarney Castle. Although it is crumbling 
with age, yet I found it in a much more perfect 
state than I had expected. The tower part — 
the part built more especially for defence — 
stands almost entire, except all its floors are 
gone but one, which is stone, and which is sup- 
ported by an arch. The castle is over one hun- 
dred feet high, and stands upon the edge of a 
precipice. The walls are about ten feet thick 



Pencilings in Ireland. 



at the base, and gradually taper to the thickness 
of five feet at the top, which is protected by 
battlements. From this elevation I had an ex- 
tensive view of the surrounding country. The 
walls of other portions of the castle are mostly 
standing, but seamed and rent, and ready to 
fall. Nor is this to be wondered at when we 
think of the hundreds of years they have stood. 
It is a grand old ruin. The ceremony of kiss- 
ing the Blarney Stone I omitted, having but 
little faith in its virtue. 

I had an interview with a Catholic priest at > 
Limerick junction, where I put up over night, 
who unwittingly took me to be one of his own 
order. On learning I was going to Rome, $ 
he became very talkative. The conversation 
turned upon the history of Rome and its popes ; 
and perhaps my familiarity with the subject 
served to confirm his impression. At all events % 
he talked freely ; spoke of the great advantages 
that they expected to Romanism in Ireland 
from the disestablishment of the English Church ; 
that he believed that many of her churches • 
would soon have to be sold, and that the Ro- 
manists would buy them, and so occupy the 
ground. He also spoke enthusiastically of their 
prospects in the United States, and of ultimately 
controlling the destiny of that country. He 
referred to the New York Cathedral, now in 
course of erection, and of the controlling in- 
fluence of Romanism already in that city — the 



2G 



Wonders of the East. 



great centre of wealth and power. To all this 
I readily assented, and cited instances of their 
ambitions projects and aggressions on Protes- 
tants ; but to my surprise he misunderstood me 
as glorying in their success. I felt embarrassed 
with my awkward position, and soon made an 
excuse to retire. 

IsText morning I ordered beefsteak for my 
breakfast. On coming to the table I again met 
the priest, who sat down just opposite to me at 
the same time, with a couple of boiled eggs. 
When I had finished, he asked me if I knew 
what day of the week it was. I replied, 
" Thursday " (as I was under that impression at 
the time), "No," said he, laughingly, "it is 
Friday;" and immediately added, "I thought 
your Reverence had forgotten the clay of the 
week when I saw you eatiug the bafe; but I 
thought as you had already commenced when I 
observed you, I would let you finish, as you 
might just as well be hung for an old sheep as 
a lamb ; besides, I thought it would be a good 
joke on your Reverence." He, seeing my con- 
fusion at thus being taken for a Catholic priest, 
and thinking it to result from my eating the 
meat on Friday, immediately sought to soothe 
my mind by adding that I need not mind it, 
that he had made the same mistake a number 
of times himself, and that for such mistakes we 
were not responsible. Just at this point the 
waiter put in his apology for not reminding me 



Pencilings in Ireland, 21 



that it was Friday when I ordered the steak. 
My embarrassment, which had become exceed- 
ingly oppressive, was soon happily relieved by 
the arrival of the train that took the priest 
away. 

Kildare. — I felt an interest in visiting this 
place, from the fact that I had become familiar 
with the story of its famous race-course, as Cur- 
ragh Kildare, when a mere boy. This exten- 
sive and beautiful furze-dotted plain is now 
used as a military camp. The most interesting 
thing here, however, is the ruin of an old Abbey, 
said to have been founded by St. Bridget. 
Some of the wall and a portion of one of the 
towers are still standing. But that which 
makes this place celebrated and dear to every 
Irish Papist, is the fact that here, in the fifth 
century, St. Bridget was born, and here she 
lived and died. 

It is related by her biographer, with much 
gravity, that even when she was an infant she 
performed miracles ; that, by her touch, a dead 
infant was actually brought to life ; that she 
was brought up on the milk of a white heifer ; 
that the step on which she stood when she took 
the vail, although of wood, was unharmed when 
the church was subsequently burnt ; that she 
made St. Patrick's shroud when he died, and a 
hundred other wonderful things ; and lastly, 
when she died, a fire was kindled and was 
burned in her honor without interruption, for 



22 



Wonders of the East. 



seven hundred years, without ever leaving a 
particle of ashes. According to this book, 
which must be believed by all good Papists, 
she was certainly a most remarkable woman. 

Dublin — the capital of Ireland — has a popu- 
lation of some 250,000, and is quite rich in his- 
torical associations. It contains many fine 
public buildings, such as the Four Courts (law 
buildings), Post Office, Custom House, the 
Eoyal Bank of Ireland (once the Parliament 
House), an extensive and noble structure, Trin- 
ity College, with fine bronze statues in front, of 
Burke and Goldsmith, the Old Castle, famous 
in both history and romance, and last though 
not least, St. Patrick's Cathedral, belonging to 
the Church of England. This is, perhaps, the 
most remarkable building in all Dublin, in view 
of its age and associations. The present edifice, 
or rather a portion of it (for it has been en- 
larged), together with the tower, was built in 
1190, on the very spot, it is said, where St. 
Patrick built a church in a. d. 450. The build- 
ing has been recently repaired or restored, as it 
had become very dilapidated. Within, I was 
shown a wooden chest, iron bound, originally 
used to hold the vestments of the priests, which 
was 681 years old, as also a baptismal font of 
the same age. The latter, however, was stone. 
The building also contains tombs, statues, busts, 
and monuments of distinguished persons, whose 
remains here find a resting-place. Among 



Pencilings in Ireland. 



these are Dean Swift, Archbishop Whately, 
Archbishop Jones, Archbishop Tregrey, the 
Earl and Countess of Cork, etc., etc. The latter 
are both sculptured in stone, lying in state, 
with thirteen figures in stone kneeling near 
them. The whole is very impressive, and 
bears the date of 1629. Archbishop Jones 
also lies similarly in state, with some four 
kneeling around him. His monument bears 
the date of 1619, while Archbishop Tregrey's 
is dated 1449. 

There is also a large number of statuary of 
distinguished persons in Dublin — more than I 
have ever seen before in any city. Among its 
public monuments, those of the Duke of Wel- 
lington and Lord Nelson are the most noted. 
The latter is a fluted Doric shaft, which shoots 
up from a square pedestal to the height of 138 
feet, on the top of which stands a colossal statue 
of the hero of Trafalgar. From the top of this 
monument I had a bird's-eye view of the city 
and its surroundings. 

From Dublin to Belfast, we passed through 
some places of considerable note — such as the 
battle-field of Boyne, so noted in Irish history 
and Irish strife ; and also Dundalk, where Ed- 
ward Bruce, brother of Robert Bruce, was 
crowned king of Ireland. 

With Belfast I am much pleased. There is 
evidently a spirit of thrift and enterprise among 
its inhabitants that speaks well for its future, 



24 



Wonders of the East. 



It contains 170,000 inhabitants, and the most 
extensive linen manufactories in the world, and 
is ahead of any other city in Ireland in a com- 
mercial point of view. I have not time to 
speak generally of its public buildings and in- 
stitutions. Among these. Queen's College may 
be named as a fine institution of learning. The 
Methodist College, under the Presidency of Dr. 
Crooks, is. take it as a whole, one of the best 
arranged colleges I have ever seen. I think it 
may justly be regarded as a model institution. 
Prince Albert's monument, which is a colossal 
affair, is also one of the celebrities of the city. 
In a niche on its western side is a fine statue of 
this distinguished gentleman. 

I have now traveled some three hundred 
miles in Ireland, and have heard the Irish rat- 
tling away, in all the music of the Irish brogue, 
in the most approved style. In this journey I 
have seen many things to instruct, and much to 
amuse. Several things have impressed me as 
strange. One is. the sparseness of houses in the 
country. This is owing to the large land- 
holders who, in many instances, own thousands 
of acres each. Another, is the fact that I could 
see no churches or school-houses except in the 
cities and villages, although I have looked for 
them in the country wherever I have been. 
Another peculiarity is the abundance and tame- 
ness of crows. I have seen thousands and thou- 
asncls of them. The air and fields, in some sec 



What 1 Saw in Scotland, 



25 



tions, seem to be full of them. But I must 
close for the mail. 



LETTER III. 

WHAT I SAW 1ST SCOTLAND. 

Glasgow, — Its Cathedral and other places of 
Interest, — Edinburgh. — Its Castle, — Holy- 
rood Palace, — Museum, c#6\, <&e. 

GLASGOW.— Glasgow is built on both sides 
the river Clyde, so very famous for its 
extensive ship-building interest, that perhaps but 
few have not heard of the " Clyde built steamers" 
that are plowing almost every sea. This city is 
only second to Edinburgh, and in some respects 
even superior to that. It has a population of 
over four hundred thousand, and is a most busy 
and thriving city in every detail of commerce 
and industry. 

The first place I visited after securing hotel 
accommodations, (which is always first in order), 
was the justly celebrated Cathedral of which I 
had heard so much. This is undoubtedly the 
most noted object of interest to a stranger in 
the city, and, in fact, the most important build- 
ing of the kind in all Scotland, with perhaps 
one exception. This venerable edifice is situ- 



26 



Wo?iders of the East. 



ated on high ground (one hundred feet above 
the water of the river), and was completed in 
1175, and consequently lacks but four years of 
being seven hundred years old. It is built inr 
the form of a Latin cross, but the transepts have 
never been completed, so as to extend beyond 
the face of the nave wall, and are now only dis- 
tinguishable by their cross roof, high-pointed 
gables, large windows, corner turrets, and but- 
tresses. The building is three hundred and 
twenty feet long, and sixty-two feet and six 
inches wide. The nave is one hundred and 
fifty-five feet long and ninety-four feet high. 
There are one hundred and forty-seven piers or 
columns which support the arches. These are 
also flanked by side aisles. It is lighted by one 
hundred and fifty-seven windows of various di- 
mensions. After this description I need hardly 
say its style of architecture is gothic. At the 
point of junction between the nave, choir and 
transepts, shoots up the tower and spire. This 
rises to the height of two hundred and twenty- 
five feet from the floor. The floor of the choir 
part (the head of the cross) is elevated over 
three feet above that of the nave, and is fur- 
nished with seats, while the nave and transepts 
are not. Under the choir part is a crypt or 
vault for the dead, said to be one of the finest 
in the kingdom, in point of ornamentation, and 
from its appearance, I do not doubt it. Here 
the dust of many of distinction rests, especially 



What I Saw in Scotland, 



27 



of divines. One needs, however, to see its tesse- 
lated pavement of encaustic tiles ; the elegance 
of its clustered columns, ornamented with large 
and small mouldings ; their massive character, 
the four, upon which the tower rests, being no 
less than thirty-seven feet and seven inches in 
circumference ; its lofty enterlased arches spring- 
ing in graceful lines from the moulded capitals 
of its one hundred and forty-seven columns ; 
its gorgeously stained windows, the mullions of 
which are beautifully ramified into rich tracery 
arising out of reversed curves. One needs to 
see all these in the elegance of their combina- 
tion and the chasteness of their ornamentation to 
fully appreciate its architectural beauty. 

Scarcely of less interest are its historical asso- 
ciations. Within its walls the highest dignita- 
ries both of church and state have assembled. 
Here King Edward I. worshiped in 1301. Here 
Oliver Cromwell in 1650 met with the Cove- 
nanters for the same purpose. But perhaps 
the most wonderful incident connected with 
this edifice after all, was the famous Presbyte- 
rian General Assembly, which met within its 
walls in 1438. This august body was composed 
of two hundred and forty members, comprising 
one hundred and forty ministers, ninety ruling 
elders (of whom seventeen were noblemen of 
high rank), nine knights, twenty-five landed 
proprietors, etc. In this convocation they de- 
clared in the most formal and solemn manner 



28 



Wonders of the East. 



that the Episcopacy, the High Commission, the 
Articles of Perth, and the Canons of Liturgy, 
were forever abolished, and that they should 
hereafter be unlawful, and that the Presbyterian 
form of church government should be estab- 
lished throughout Scotland, by which the Popish 
yoke was forever broken. 

Near by the Cathedral is the Necropolis of 
Glasgow, a beautifully ornamented cemetery of 
some twenty-five acres, commanding a fine 
view of the city, as it is two hundred and twen- 
ty-five feet above the waters of the Clyde. It 
is adorned with a large number of stately mon- 
uments, many of which are erected to departed 
worth and greatness. Among the number that 
challenge admiration, is a fluted Doric column 
bearing high in the air upon its summit the 
statue of the honored and venerable reformer, 
John Knox. 

Another place of interest is St. George's 
Square, near the center of the town, surround- 
ed by the principal hotels and several public 
buildings. Here are to be seen the statues of 
Lord Clyde, Sir Robert Peel, and James Watt, 
the discoverer or inventor of the application of 
steam as a power, Gen. Sir John Moore, who 
fell at the battle of Corunna, in Spain, Sir Wal- 
ter Scott, surmounting a lofty monument, and 
equestrian statues of Prince Albert and Queen 
Victoria, as also in front of the Royal Exchange 
near by, is another of the Duke of Wellington. 



What I Saw in Scotland. 



29 



with representations on the pedestal of various 
battles in which he was engaged. 

I was also very much interested in passing 
through Trungate Street in view of its histori- 
cal reminiscences. Here stands the church 
where the great Dr. Chalmers so eloquently 
preached the w r ord. Nearly opposite Sir John 
More was born. ISTear by, just around the cor- 
ner, is the residence of Baillie Nicol Jarvie, 
that has been immortalized by Scott in " Rob 
Eoy." 

On the south side of the city, just beyond 
its limits, is the hill side called Long Side, 
where the battle was fought in which the beau- 
tiful, accomplished, but unfortunate Mary, 
Queen of Scotts, suffered her last and fatal 
defeat, from which she fled to Elizabeth of Eng- 
land for protection, where she, instead of meet- 
ing with sympathy, was beheaded. 

Kelvin Grove Park, the great public ground 
of Glasgow, with its artificial sloping terraces 
fringed w T ith shrubery, and its beautiful undu- 
lating lawms is to be reckoned among the lead- 
ing places of attraction in this city, but I have 
not time to dwell. 

Edinburgh. — Edinburgh, the capital of Scot- 
land, has a population of about two hundred 
thousand. While its commercial and manufac- 
turing interests are small, it ranks high as a lit- 
erary emporium, and is in this respect second 



30 



Wonders of the East. 



only to London. It is some six miles in circum- 
ference, and is partly surrounded, at no great 
distance, with high hills, which form a fine 
back-ground, giving it a picturesque appear- 
ance. In fact, the city itself is built on three 
ridges that run east and west, and is divided 
into the new and old town, which are very dis- 
similar. In the old the streets are narrow and 
irregular, and flanked with very high old stone 
houses, that gives them a sort of romantic ap- 
pearance. In the new, the avenues are more 
regular and spacious, along which are erected 
elegant buildings, which will favorably compare 
with those of any city. The new or modern 
part occupies the northern ridge, while the old 
covers the other two. The middle one termin- 
ates at its western extremity with an elevated 
bold rocky precipice two hundred feet high, 
with a surface of about six acres. Upon this 
stands the old Castle of Edinburgh, the most 
interesting object in the city to a stranger, 
except the Palace, which stands at the east end 
of the town. The only entrance to the fortress 
is from the east. As we approach it, on our 
right, we saw a bronze statue of the Duke of 
York, son of George III. and Uncle to Queen 
Victoria. Passing on we entered the fortress by 
a drawbridge which spans a deep dry ditch 
guarded by small flanking batteries. Then, 
comes the guardhouse; next, as we ascended 
the old prison in which the Marquis and Earl 



What I Saw in Scot/and, 31 



of Argyll were confined previous to their exe- 
cutions. Still ascending upward, passing the 
armory and old Sally Ports, we reach the cita- 
del or the highest platform of the Castle. On 
the east side is where the royal apartments are 
located, and where a long line of sovereigns 
were born, and lived, and died. 

On the ground floor here at the south-east 
corner, is the room in which, on the 19th of 
June, 1566, Queen Mary gave birth to James L, 
King of England. The room is small, being 
only a little over eight feet long. 

On the east side of the quadrangle, (for these 
buildings are built in a quadrangular form, with 
a court inside of one hundred feet square), is the 
Crown Room, where the ancient regalia of 
Scotland is preserved. The crown is supposed 
to be as old as the days of Robert Bruce. The 
last monarch crowned with it was Charles II. 
The sceptre is of silver double gilt, thirty-four 
inches long, hexagonal in form, and surmounted 
with statues of the Virgin, St. Andrew, and St. 
James.' The sword of state is a beautiful affair, 
and was presented from Pope Julius II. to 
James IV. in the year 1507. There is also a 
golden collar of the Order of the Garter pre- 
sented by Queen Elizabeth to James VI., the 
badge of the Thistle of the same king contain- 
ing a portrait of his wife Annie of Denmark, 
and set with diamonds, and also a ruby ring, 
beautifully set with diamonds, and worn by 



32 



Wonders of the East. 



Charles I. at his coronation at Holyrood Palace, 
in 1633. I need not say that such ornaments I 
had never seen before, and that all was new and 
strange to me. 

The next thing we visited was Queen Marga- 
ret's Chapel, which is considered one of the 
most interesting things in the castle. This Nor- 
man structure was built by Queen Margaret, 
who died in 1093, and is said to be the oldest 
building in Scotland. Xear by, on the king's 
bastion stands the famous gun, known as Mons 
Meg, which is said to be some four hundred 
years old. This cannon is formed of long 
pieces of malleable iron that are placed length- 
wise, and bound together by hoops of the same 
material. It is thirteen feet long, twenty inches 
in diameter, and weighs upwards of five tuns. 
A pile of stone balls lays beside it, such as were 
used in former times, before iron balls were 
known. 

From this place I went to Holyrood Palace, 
which stands at the east end of the city, and 
which was founded by James IV., in 1501 ; but 
which was not finished until over a hundred 
years after. The Palace as it now stands, is a 
spacious quadrangular structure, enclosing a 
piazza bounded court, ninety-four feet square. 
The grand entrance is decorated with four Doric 
columns on each side. Over the archway is 
sculptured the royal arms of Scotland, sur- 
mounted by a small octagonal tower terminat- 



What I Saw in Scotland. 



33 



ing in a crown, on each side of which are dou- 
ble-battlemented towers. 

On entering the first room I visited was the 
Picture Gallery. This hall is one hundred and 
fifty feet long, twenty-four feet wide, and 
twenty feet high, and contains one hundred 
portraits of distinguished persons. 

Next comes Lord Darnley's rooms, in which are 
also portraits and some interesting specimens of 
ancient tapistry. From these we ascended the 
staircase to Queen Mary's apartments, which 
are on the third floor. The first apartment 
entered is the Audience Chamber. Among 
other rich articles of furniture is a dilapidated 
state bed which has often been occupied by 
kings and princes. From this we passed into 
Queen Mary's Bed Chamber. Here, in addi- 
tion to other articles of furniture, is the Queen's 
bed, with hangings of crimson damask, and 
with green silk fringes and tassels, now moth- 
eaten and decaying. Adjoining are her dress- 
ing-room and supper-room. On the north side 
of the latter was shown to us the private stair- 
way by which an assassin, employed by Lord 
Darnley, her husband, in a fit of jealousy, crept 
up to this room on the night of March 9th, 1566, 
and stabbed Eizzio, the Queen's Secretary, by 
her side ; and dragged him bleeding from her 
presence, hustling him through the bed-room 
and antechamber ; during which he was assault- 
ed with daggers by the Earl of Morton, Lord 



34 



Wonders of the East. 



Ruthvan, Lord Lindsay, and various other dig- 
nitaries, so that he fell covered with some fifty 
wounds. 

We next visited the Chapel Royal, which 
belongs to the Palace. It is, however, roofless, 
and rapidly crumbling down with age. A part 
of the building dates back to 1150. In this 
chapel Charles I. was crowned, as were also 
James II., James III. and James IY. Here 
Queen Mary and Lord Darnley were married ; 
and here in the royal vault in the south-east 
corner, lie the remains of David II., James II., 
James V., the Queen and second son of James 
V., Lord Darnley, the Duke of Albany, and 
many others of distinction. Alas ! what a place 
for reflection upon human greatness, and the 
vanity of all things earthly. The impressions 
I received here will not soon be forgotten. 

I also visited the British Museum, the Surgi- 
cal and Anatomial Museum, the Antiquarian 
Museum, where I saw an old guillotine. Here 
also 1 saw the famous stool of which I had 
often read, that Jenny Geddes hurled at the 
head of the Dean of St. Giles, when he attempt- 
ed to read the Liturgy ; also the Sculpture Gal- 
lery, which contains casts of the Elgin Marbles, 
the celebrated statues of antiquity,* etc. 

Of the various cemeteries that I visited, no 
other impressed me as did Greyfriars. Here 
lies the remains of some of Scotland's most 
gifted sons. But the monument that impressed 



What I Saw in Scotland. 



35 



me most, was that erected on the spot where 
some twelve hundred martyrs were buried, who 
suffered death for their faith at the hand of Ro- 
manists. I was also shown the stone wall en- 
closure where they were imprisoned without 
covering from the storms for five months, hud- 
dled together like cattle, and where they nearly 
perished with cold and hunger. Among the 
very large number executed here were many of 
distinction ; not less than one hundred noble- 
men, gentlemen and ministers. 

Here too in this yard stands the old church 
built in 1612, in which the National Covenant 
was signed in 1638 by the lords and barons of 
the realm that made Romish persecutions an 
impossibility thereafter. 

I also visited the house where John Knox 
lived, the church where he preached, and the 
tomb where he rests. 

I would like to speak about many other 
things I have seen in and around this city, but 
my letter is already too long. Here historical 
reminiscences of the past meet you at almost 
every step. 

Never before have I found a city so different 
from all my previous conceptions. One needs 
to see it in order to understand it, and appre- 
ciate it. While making my home at the ¥a- 
verly House, to which my friend, Dr. Kost, re- 
commended me, I have had a pleasant and 
profitable visit. 



36 



Wonders of the East. 



LETTER IV. 

SIGHTS IN AND ABOUT LONDON. 

London. — A Funeral — St. PauVs Cathedral. — 
Westminster Alley. — Its History. — Its Royal 
Tombs. — The Poefs Corner. — England' 
Mighty Dead. 

I LEFT Edinburgh on Saturday, October 
13th, by steamer, and arrived in this city 
the next day about one p. m. As I had antici- 
pated, I have been exceedingly interested in 
London ; and, in fact, it seems to me that no 
stranger can be otherwise, especially on his first 
visit to this great metropolis. There is no other 
city on the globe that can be considered its 
equal. The population of this immense human 
hive is between three and four millions, spread- 
ing out from east to west some twelve miles, 
and from north to south about ten, making over 
forty miles in circumference, and covering an 
area nearly one hundred and twenty square 
miles. It would therefore take nearly four 
such cities as Xew York, placed side by side, to 
equal this city. Besides, it is estimated that 
one hundred thousand visitors are constantly 
coming and going, and swelling the tide of pop- 
ulation that constantly crowds its streets. 

The early history of London is veiled in ob- 
scurity. It is known, however, to have been a 



Sights in and about London. 37 

strong fortified place of the Britons before the 
Christian era. Its Roman designation is evi- 
dence that it was the capital of the Province. 
Tacitus speaks of Londonum or Oolonia. 
Augustus, in a. d., '51, alludes to it as a com- 
mercial city of considerable importance. 

The old city was formerly surrounded with a 
wall, as indeed were all ancient cities of im- 
portance. Temple Bar-gate, which was built a 
little over two hundred years ago, marks the 
place of one of the old gateways into the city. 
The present gateway is much more of an affair 
than I had anticipated. It is Corinthian in 
style, and consists of a large central arch some 
20 feet high, and some 15 feet thick (being the 
thickness of the old wall) spanning the street, 
with a smaller one on each side for foot passen- 
gers. On this arch, in former times, the heads 
of malefactors who had been executed, were 
stuck up to public view. The only use now 
made of the gate, is on state occasions. It is 
then closed against the official agents of the 
reigning sovereign. Permission is then asked 
of the Lord Mayor in the King's or Queen's 
name (as the case may be) to enter the city, upon 
which the gate, with great ceremony, is opened 
for the royal escort to pass. But perhaps 
enough of this. 

On the next morning after my arrival in this 
city, just after breakfast, I overheard one of the 
waiters say that there was to be a grand fun era 1 



3§ 



Wonders of the East. 



that morning. On inquiry, I learned that it 
was the funeral of Sir John F. Burgoyne, 
Field Marshal ; and that the procession would 
pass through the street on which I was staying. 
I immediately concluded to abandon the plan 
I had formed for the morning to visit various 
places, to witness the pageantry of rank and 
greatness. According to appointment, between 
ten and eleven o'clock, the funeral car, gorgeous- 
ly plumed, made its appearance, preceded by 
mounted officials to clear the street for the pro- 
cession. Next came four private carriages, 
with richly plumed and caparisoned horses, 
which contained the relatives of the deceased. 
Each one of these carriages was attended by a 
guard of honor. X ext came the Queen's dress 
carriage ; then the Prince of Wales' carriage ; 
next the carriage of the Duke of Cambridge, 
etc. These were followed by private carriages. 
When the cortege arrived at Tower Hill, the 
place of interment, while the bands played the 
dead march in Said, the tolling of the bell and 
the thundering of the cannon, added materially 
to the pomp and impressiveness of the occasion. 
I had formed a high opinion of the state car- 
riages of royalty, yet their superb trappings and 
costly decorations far exceeded my expecta- 
tions. I could not, however, help reflecting 
how little death, or disease, cared for wealth, 
rank or power ; how little these availed when 
help and comfort were most needed. The 



1* 

Sights in and about London. 39 

Queen is even now confined to her room with 
rheumatism. 

St. Paul's Cathedral.— This is justly re- 
garded as one of the most interesting objects in 
the whole city; the grandest church in the 
British Isles. Although surrounded with stately 
buildings, it rises above them all, towering like a 
giant among pigmies. It is built in 1 he form 
of a cross, and in the purest Grecian style. It 
is five hundred feet long inside of the walls, and 
three hundred and eleven feet wide. It faces 
the west, and its front is adorned with a splen- 
did portico, supported by twelve massive col- 
umns. Above these are eight composite col- 
umns supporting a triangular pediment on 
which is the representation of the conversion of 
St. Paul deeply cut in bas-relief. On the apex 
is a colossal statue of the apostle. The angles 
of the front are crowned with two bell towers 
which rise to the height of two hundred and 
twenty-two feet. On the north and south ends 
of the transepts are circular porticos, support- 
ed by Corinthian columns. At the junction of 
the nave, transepts and choir, rises its immense 
dome three hundred feet in circumference on 
the inside, and rising to the enormous height of 
three hundred and forty feet from the floor to 
the top of the interior ; the entire structure to 
the top of the cross being no less than four hun- 
dred feet high. The dome is reached by a 



40 



Wo?tders of the East. 



winding staircase. In the interior of the dome 
is a whispering gallery, which is a marvel of 
itself. The shutting of a door sounds almost 
like thunder. By putting your ear to the wall, 
you can hear a person whisper away across on 
the other side. On hearing words spoken, I 
instinctively looked around me to see if any 
one was near me, although I knew there was 
not. It seemed as though some one was whis- 
pering to me just by my side. From the whis- 
pering gallery I ascended to the top above the 
dome, where I had one of the finest views of 
London that is to be obtained from any point 
in the whole city. As I gazed around from this 
dizzy height, I could see for miles away, east 
and west, north and south. It was a beautiful 
sight to see stretching out on every side one wide 
wilderness of dwellings, churches, halls, public 
buildings, factories, etc., gradually fading away 
in the dim, smoky distance. I counted, from 
this point, seventy-four towers and spires, rising 
up from the mass of buildings around. 

The interior has attractions also as well as 
the exterior. It is truly wonderful to stand 
beneath this great dome, and look up to its 
lofty arch so high above you. But this is not 
all — as you stand here, you are surrounded with 
many monuments of beautiful design and 
workmanship that have been erected to some 
of England's noblest sons. Among these is 
that of Lord Nelson, whose name will never die. 



Sights in and about London. 41 



Also that of Sir Edward Packingham'a and Major 
General Gibbs', who fell at the battle of New 
Orleans ; John Howard's, the great philanthro- 
pist ; Dr. Johnson's, Lord Collingwood's, and 
many others. I should not, however, omit 
stating that here too rests the remains of Sir 
Christopher Wren, who reared this stupendous 
pile. It was near forty years in building, and 
cost about seven million five hundred thousand 
dollars. In front of the church is also a statue 
of Queen Ann in her robes of state, surrounded 
with other figures and decorations of elaborate 
workmanship. 

Westminster Abbey.— This is a venerable 
pile, and aside from its marvelous associations, 
which can scarcely be over estimated, it is next 
to St. Paul's, the most imposing religious edi- 
fice in London. It is a gothic structure, also 
built in the form of a Latin cross, and is three 
hundred and seventy-five feet long, and at the 
transepts two hundred feet wide. The nave, 
including the aisles, is seventy-five feet wide, 
and the nave itself one hundred and one feet 
high, supported by clustered columns of large 
and small mouldings, from which its arches 
spring in beautiful curves. From the outside, 
its numerous turrets, towers, and pinnaclas, give 
it a most imposing- appearance. 

It was not all built at the same time. One 
portion was erected by Edward the Confessor, 



42 



Wonders of the East. 



about 105(7, on the site of an old Saxon church. 
Some parts have since been rebuilt by Henry 
III., and the towers were not completed until 
about two hundred years ago, when they were 
finished by Sir Christopher Wren. The chapel 
which bears the name of Henry VII., was built 
by him in 1520 as a royal sepulchre. Alto- 
gether, it is one of the most wonderful build- 
ings, in view of its many associations, that is to 
be found in all England. I could not help but 
think, as I here stood, that once beneath these 
old massive arches, monks, friars, and priests 
chanted their lifeless services. Bat now, all 
this is changed. The monks and friars are 
gone. Revolution has transformed this vene- 
rable pile into a vast sepulchre for England's 
mighty dead. 

Having secured a guide, and paid the stipu- 
lated fee, I entered the old chapel, and stood 
among the royal tombs of the kings. What a 
place for reflection on human greatness, and the 
vanity of rank, and wealth, and power, as an 
end! Here earls, and dukes, and lords, and 
kings, and queens, sleep in silence; awaiting, 
with others, the blast of the last trumpet. Here, 
nobility and royalty lie in ruins. Alas! what 
are titles, and all the pageantry of royalty, in 
the chambers of death ? How forcibly the lines 
of Young impressed my mind, as I gazed on 
the scene around me : 



Sights in and about London. 43 

'* What though we wade in wealth, and soar in fame ? 
Earth's highest stations end in ' here he lies 
And 4 dust to dust,' concludes the noblest song." 

I was particularly impressed with the magnifi- 
cent tomb of Henry Y1L, as also that of Queen 
Elizabeth, and the unfortunate Mary, Queen of 
Scots. The reclining figure of Henry V., which 
lies on the tomb, is now headless ; as the head, 
which was of silver, has been wrenched from 
the body by some thief and carried off. The 
metallic statue of Richard II., that lies on the 
top of his tomb, is entirely covered with gilt, 
and is a splendid affair. Here is also the tomb 
where the remains of Oliver Cromwell were de= 
posited, but which were removed by Charles 
II., on his coming to the throne. The oldest 
date is found on the tomb of King Sebert, who 
died a. d. 616. I believe all of England's kings, 
from Edward the Confessor, as he is called, to 
Greorge II., lie entombed in this enclosure. 

Another place of peculiar interest in this vast 
edifice is what is termed the " Poets' corner." 
Not that poets only are buried here, for here 
reposes the dust of divines, historians, philoso- 
phers, critics, musicians, actors, architects, dra- 
matists, and jurists. These are Nature's gifted 
sons, not made great by wealth and titles. They 
were raised to eminence and distinction, not by 
ancestorial prerogatives, for many of them were 
bom to poverty, and died poor ; but they were 
men of sterling intellect, of genius and culture. 



44 



Wonders of the East. 



The most of these were not only benefactors to 
the age in which they lived, but will be to all 
future generations ; and when these marble 
memorials shall have crumbled into dust, their 
names shall still live in history and song. 

In every part of the building— in the nave, 
transepts, and choir — are statues, and tablets, 
and monuments, of every degree of artistic skill 
and grandeur. Over the great west doorway 
is a monument to William Pitt, standing in his 
robes of state. In the north aisle is the monu- 
ment of Major Andre, who was hung as a spy 
at Tappan, New York. On the monument is a 
sculptured representation of his capture at Tar- 
rytown. In the nave is a beautiful statue of 
the late Lord Palmerston in his robes of state. 
Of the numerous inscriptions that meet you on 
every side, and which I have read for hours to- 
gether, there is not one other that has so im- 
pressed my mind as that inscribed on the mon- 
ument of Shakspeare, taken from his own elo- 
quent words, and made still more impressive 
as his statue there stands, pointing its finger to 
the inscription : 

"The cloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces, 
The solemn temples, the great globe itself— 
Yea, all which it inherits, shall dissolve, 
And, like the baseless fabric of a vision, 
Leave not a wreck behind." 

Tears ago I treasured up this passage as a 
gem ; but as I read it here, amid these sur- 



Sights in and about London, 45 

roundings of departed greatness, and the mould- 
ering dust of kings, it had a peculiar significance 
that I never felt before. + 



LETTER V. 

sights in and about London. — Continued. 

Tower, — Horse Armory, — White Tower. — 
Prison and Instruments of Torture. — Noted 
Victim. — Place of Execution. — Jewel Office. 
— Crowns and Sceptres. — British Museum. — 
JVimrod and Layard Saloons.— The Posetta 
Stone. — Bunhill Fields. — Tombs of Distin- 
guished Personages. 

THE TO WEE.— The Tower of London is 
one of the great centres of interest that 
every traveler to the metropolis visits as a mat- 
ter of course. This ancient edifice is situated 
on the north bank of the Thames, near the east- 
ern extremity of the city. It is an old fortress, 
and is said to have been built by William I., 
and originally garrisoned by Normans, to secure 
the obedience of his subjects. It was subse- 
quently used for a palace for nearly five hun- 
dred years, and was first abandoned as such, by 
Queen Elizabeth, since which time it has been 
used as a prison for State criminals. It is sur- 



46 



Wonders of the East. 



rounded by a strong wall that encloses some 
thirteen acres. The Tower, as it is called, is 
not so much one building as it is an irregular 
pile of buildings, various departments of which 
are now used for different purposes, such as the 
ordnance office, the old mint office, the horse 
armory, the grand storehouse of small arms, the 
record office, the jewel office, the white tower 
and chapel. On the south side, next to the 
river, is the celebrated arch, known as the 
" Traitor's Gate," through which State prisoners 
were formerly conducted from the river to their 
dismal abode. Alas ! what an array of tragical 
events start up before the mind in the presence 
of this old dungeon ! What scenes of crime and 
blood, of untold wretchedness and suffering, 
have been witnessed here ! History gathers 
many of its most stirring events from this old, 
grim enclosure. It is doubtful whether the in- 
terest that clusters around this spot does not 
rival even the British throne. In nearly all the 
great events of England in modern times, this 
famous old Tower has played an important 
part. 

But let us enter, that we may inspect its 
various departments more closely. An English 
shilling is demanded as a fee. That man whose 
clothes are trimmed with red tape, and whose 
low, bell-crowned hat is fantastically orna- 
mented with white, red, and blue ribbons, is 
pointed out to us as our guide. We enter 



Sights in and about London. 47 

through a massive old gateway, flanked with 
two towers ; we next cross over a bridge which 
spans a wide fosse ; then pass through another 
ancient gateway similar to the first, and then 
we are inside the enclosure. A few steps brings 
us to the " Traitor Gate ;" still further on, and 
we enter the horse armory, which contains a 
large collection of ancient implements of war, 
both offensive and defensive. Here is every 
variety of shields and coats of mail. There is 
one that has been brought from Naples, which 
is in a glass case, and said to be two thousand 
years old. Here are various equestrian statues 
of the kings and knights of England, dressed up 
in the peculiar armor worn in the age in which 
they lived, from the time of Edward I., 1272, 
to that of James II., 1685, covering a period of 
400 years. Some of these are unique indeed ; 
that of Henry VIII. is the most superb and 
kingly, except it be that of Queen Elizabeth, 
who is mounted on a horse, richly dressed in 
her robes of state, and as she appeared when 
she rode to the church, to give thanks to God 
for the destruction of the Spanish Armada. 

It is very interesting to see the first form of 
guns that were used, and then to mark the dif- 
ferent steps of improvement in these instruments 
of war that speedily banished from use the 
shields and coats of mail. Having next passed 
through the departments containing sixty-two 
thousand stand of modern small arms, we were 



4 8 



Wonders of the East. 



conducted to the more important parts of the 
Tower. 

Among the places of special interest is the 
chapel — a small, plain, but neat building, of 
the Norman style, said to have been erected in 
1272, or 600 years ago. Within its vaults re- 
pose the dust of many of high rank and distinc- 
tion. The bodies of most of those who have 
been executed within this enclosure, it is said, 
have been deposited here. Under this chapel, 
in one of its cells, we were shown the very place 
where Sir Walter Raleigh spent his thirteen 
years of imprisonment previous to his execu- 
tion ; and where he wrote, perhaps to pass 
away the time, his history of England. It 
seemed strange to know that I was standing in 
the very room where this distinguished warrior, 
statesman, and writer spent long, weary years 
in solitude. Perhaps no single act of the reign 
of James I. was more odious and shameful than 
that which consigned this great and good man 
to the scaffold. The letter he wrote to his wife, 
the day before his execution, in which he takes 
his final leave of his family, will ever be read 
with interest. 

We were next conducted to the white tower. 
Here we entered a large room, quite ordinary 
in architecture, where some of the most impor- 
tant events in English history have transpired. 
Could these walls but speak, what scenes of 
tyranny and blood would they disclose to our 



Sights in and about London. 49 

astonished ears ! Among other things of note 
that have transpired here, was the dethrone- 
ment of Richard II., against whom were pre- 
sented thirty-five articles of accusation, on which 
he w T as tried, condemned, and formally deposed, 
to make way to the throne for Henry IV. This 
enforced abdication has been well described by 
Shakspeare, in the following lines : 

"I give this heavy weight from off my head, 
And this unwieldy sceptre from my hand — 
The pride of kiDgly sway from out my heart ; 
"With my own tears I wash away my halm, 
With my own hand I give away my crown, 
With my own tongue deny the sacred state, 
With my own "breath release all dutious oaths. 
All pomp and majesty I do forswear ; 
My manors, rents, revenues, I do forego ; 
My acts, decrees, and statutes, I deny," etc. 

We next entered the apartment where State 
prisoners were formerly confined. All around 
on the walls are inscriptions and various de- 
vices, which have been cut in the stone by the 
prisoners during their incarcerations. Many of 
these are very suggestive and impressive. I 
was particularly struck with one of them, which, 
perhaps, is about ten inches square. It has in 
its centre the scales of justice unequally bal- 
anced. On the left of the scales is an hour- 
glass. On the other side a human skull — the 
symbol of death. All these are deeply cut in 
the stone. A short distance from this, in 



50 



Wonders of the East. 



another place, is carved simply Jane, which is 
supposed to have been cut by the unfortunate 
Lady Jane Grey. All these inscriptions and 
devices were a long time ago covered over, by 
plastering the stone walls, until, as generations 
passed away, they became forgotten, as it was 
probably intended they should be. But as the 
plastering had become defaced, cracked, and 
broken, it was resolved to remove it ; when, lo ! 
these inscriptions and carvings were all brought 
to light. "What a place for reflection within 
these grim old walls I Here the patriot and 
warrior, William Wallace, was incarcerated by 
King Edward ; and from here he was finally 
dragged at a horse's tail to Smithfield, where 
he was barbarously murdered. Here Henry 
VI. was imprisoned and finally assassinated. 
Here two young princes, in the helplessness of 
childhood, were inhumanly smothered by the 
order of their uncle, Richard III. Here the 
unfortunate but talented Isabella Stuart, for no 
fault of her own, was cruelly imprisoned in this 
dungeon until her health was destroyed, her 
reason dethroned, and her body covered with 
disease ; she died a raving maniac. Here, too, 
the corrupt and unprincipled statesman, Wil- 
liam Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, laid in 
confinement for three years previous to his ex- 
ecution. 

Xear by this dungeon is another room, where 
we were shown the terrible instruments of tor- 



Sights in and about London. 51 



ture and death used in former ages. I here 
saw, for the first time, a pair of thumb-screws, 
and was also shown how they were used for the 
purpose of extorting confession of guilt from 
the accused. Another instrument of torture 
was a heavy iron collar, with iron points on the 
inside, intended to gall the neck, and torment 
most cruelly its victim, until confession of guilt 
should be extorted. There was also a sort of 
iron rack, that must have produced the most 
exquisite torture. Here was also shown us the 
block upon which so many have been beheaded. 
The axe which was used on these occasions, as 
is fitting, lays by its side ; and here is also the 
horrid mask worn by the executioner, lest he 
should afterwards be recognized by the people. 

A short distance from here, just outside of 
this gloomy building, we came to a brass plate, 
just above the surface of the ground, which 
marks the very spot where the beheading-block 
originally stood, and where kings, queens, earls, 
lords, and counts have been executed. Here 
the soil has drank in the life's blood of many 
whose names stood high on the roll of fame. 
Here the acute, learned, and accomplished Sir 
Thomas Moore came to his untimely and ter- 
rible end. Here Anne Boleyn met her hard 
fate, declaring that her only crime was that she 
had lost the affection of her husband, the king. 
Here Bishop Fisher, who was condemned 
through the machinations and intrigue of Henry 



52 



Wonders of the East. 



Till., was finally executed. Here the Countess 
of Salisbury, who had been accused of treason, 
was horribly mangled to death, the executioner 
striking at her neck, at every step, as she ran 
around the fatal block, until she fell covered 
with ghastly wounds. Here the pious and ac- 
complished Lady Jane Grey, after a short 
triumph of nine days only as Queen of Eng- 
land, through the ambition of her friends, was 
beheaded, as also was her husband, Lord Guil- 
ford Dudley, whose headless corpse she met as 
she was being led to the fatal block, he having 
been beheaded just before. It is said that on 
seeing this terrifying sight she exclaimed : " O ! 
Guilford, Guilford, the antepast is not so bitter 
that thou hast tasted, and which I shall so soon 
taste, as to make my flesh tremble ; it is nothing 
compared to the feast of which we shall partake 
this day in heaven ;" and having said this, she 
approached the fatal block, with a firm heart 
and an unfaltering step. Having disrobod her- 
self and given her outer garments to her waiting- 
maids, she bound a handkerchief over her eyes 
with her own hands, and then laid her neck 
upon the block, and exclaimed: " Lord, into thy 
hands I commend my spirit." The axe fell, and 
her spirit took its flight to a better kingdom. 
Here the talented Earl of Strafford was exe- 
cuted, in the forty-ninth year of his age. Here, 
also, the Earl of Essex, under the charge of 
treason, was beheaded ; also Archbishop Laud, 



Sights in and about London. 53 

the Duke' of Somerset, the Duke of Monmouth, 
etc. But time will not permit us to continue 
tfee list. Here, for hundreds of years in the 
long past, the rack and axe did their terrible 
work. What frightful scenes of horror and 
blood come trooping up from the misty past, as 
we gaze upon this spot and its surroundings! 
What heart-rendings of sorrow; what intense 
bitterness of soul ; what acute anguish of mind ; 
what depths of humiliation ; what earnestness 
of supplication, in view of approaching doom, 
has this enclosure witnessed ! But let 11s leave 
this dismal place to look upon sights more 
cheery and pleasant. 

Here is the jewel office, which holds the 
peculiar treasures of royalty. It consists of a 
strong stone building within the wall-girt tower, 
and is strongly guarded. As we entered the 
apartment, we were handed over to another 
guide who conducted us to the jewels. Here is 
quite a display of kingly ornaments. There are 
four golden sceptres; two golden swords — one, 
the sword of Justice, the other, the sw r ord of 
Mercy; a golden wine-fountain, and a bap- 
tismal service of gold, for the use of the royal 
family ; royal spurs of gold, worn at corona- 
tions ; bracelets of gold, studded with precious 
stones ; also, five crowns ; among these is the 
crown of Victoria, which is made of purple vel- 
vet, enclosed with silver bands, surmounted by 
a ball and cross, the bands sparkling and flash- 



54 



Wonders of the East. 



ing with diamonds. This crown, which was 
worn by Queen Victoria at her coronation, and 
which was made expressly for her, is said to be 
worth five millions of dollars ; and the value of 
the whole of these kingly ornaments is said to 
be over twenty millions of dollars. And yet, 
how many have found Milton's description true : 

" A crown 

Golden in show is but a wreath of thorns ; 

Brings dangers, trouble, cares, and sleepless nights, 

To him who wears the royal diadem. " 

I leave the Tower with feelings that will not 
easily be effaced from my memory. Though 
much that are within its walls are sad, it is, 
nevertheless, pleasant to see how glorious is the 
present as compared with the past. We live in 
a better age than did our ancestors. 

Another place of special interest to the tourist 
is the British Museum. The building, which is 
Corinthian in style and very large, is crowded 
with a vast collection from art and nature. The 
zoological and minerological departments are 
said to be the finest in the world. The Lyceum 
room contains also a great variety of interesting 
objects. Here is a series of bass reliefs, which 
once adorned the upper part of the famous 
temple of Apollo. Here are also figures cast 
in plaster from the great temple of Jupiter ; 
and two beautiful models of the renowned tem- 
ple of Minerva, at Athens. In a word, sculp- 



Sights in and about London. 55 



tured tombs, winged lions, slabs and pillars, 
covered with inscriptions, most of which are 
said to be 3000 years old. The Nimrod. saloon 
presents an intellectual feast to the antiquarian. 
This contains Layard's celebrated collection of 
sculpture from the ruins of old ancient Ninevah, 
that has done so much in the confirmation of 
Bible history. 

In the Egyptian galleries I was also particu- 
larly interested. Here are gods and heroes of 
colossal proportions, sculptured from basalt and 
granite, that had been brought from the land of 
Mizraim. Among these is a gigantic head found 
at Carnak ; the dark granite statue of Amenoph, 
and the head of Eameses. Here too, is the 
celebrated Eosetta stone, that has played so im- 
portant a part in unraveling and deciphering 
the Egyptian hieroglyphics. It was dug up by 
a company of French soldiers, who were en- 
gaged at the time in throwing up an intrench- 
ment at Eosetta, in Egypt, during the first 
Napoleon's campaign in that country. The 
stone is black Seyenite basalt. On it are three 
inscriptions : one in Egyptian hieroglyphics ; 
another in the ancient Egyptian language ; the 
third in Greek, The latter, which of course 
was soon deciphered, was found to contain an 
eulogy on one of the Egyptian kings, and to 
date back nearly 200 years before Christ. It 
was soon conjectured that the other two inscrip- 
tions might be duplicates of this. It was this 



56 



Wonders of the East. 



thought, in connection with the Greek inscrip- 
tion, that furnished Dr. Young with a key to 
the hieroglyphics which had, for so many ages, 
been a profound mystery. The great advantages 
resulting from this discovery can scarcely be 
over-estimated. A flood of light has been 
poured upon Egyptian history. These strange 
characters are now read and understood. Obe- 
lisks that have stood thousands of years in 
silence, are now made to tell of the long, long 
past. Through their revelation dynasties have 
been settled, and great events chronologically 
arranged, and many doubtful questions adjusted, 
while many of the historic truths of the Bible 
have received from this source a confirmation. 
But I have not time to dwell upon the many 
wonders of this place. Suffice it to say that no 
other three days, while I was in London, were 
passed more pleasantly than the three that I 
spent in the saloons and galleries of this noble 
institution. 

Another place of very special interest to me 
was Bunhill Fields, an old burying ground in 
the northern part of the city. Here are interred 
a large number whose names stand deservedly 
high on the roll of fame. On one side of the 
cemetery stands the famous old Chapel where 
Wesley's voice was so often heard. It is a good 
sized, plain, substantial brick building, and in 
good repair. Near this structure, somewhat 
grouped together, are the tombs of Richard 



Sights in and about London. 57 

Watson 5 author of the Institutes / Benson, the 
commentator; Dr. Adam Clarke, Jabez Bunting, 
and others who were shining lights in the Wes- 
leyan connection. I felt it to be a privilege to 
even stand beside their graves and indulge in 
those reflections that such solemn associations 
naturally inspire. A short distance from these 
are other tombs of note ; but none of them in- 
terested me more than that of the great poet, 
Dr. Watts' and old John Bunyan's. The latter 
is especially impressive. The tomb is a massive 
stone structure some eight feet long and five 
feet high ; on the top of which his statue lies 
at full length, as on a couch. It is said to be a 
good likeness of this wonderful man. Although 
his dust finds here a resting place, his Pilgrims' 
Progress still lives, and is marching on, and 
will until the end of time. 



53 



Wonders of the East. 



LETTEE VI. 



sights ix and about London. — Continued. 

Westminster Palace. — Royal Gallery. — House 
of Lords. — Peers' Lobby, etc — Central Hall. 
— Westminster Hcdl. — Windsor Castle. — 
St. George's Chapel. — .Royal Tombs — Round 
Tower — Royal Stables and Publie Grounds. 



ALACE OF WESTMINSTER.— One of 



-L the leading places of special interest to 
the stranger in London, is Westminster Palace 
or the Parliament buildings. I have not seen 
anything since I left home, that I have been so 
utterly at a loss to describe, as I am this truly 
wonderful structure. It is so extensive in its 
plan, so elaborate in its workmanship, and so, 
exceedingly gorgeous in its decorations, that I 
scarcely know where to begin, or how to pro- 
ceed in order to give the reader anything like 
a correct idea of it. It is undoubtedly far the 
most extensive and highly ornamented pile of 
masonry in this great city, so noted for its pub- 
lic buildings. I will not therefore attempt to 
do more than to give a brief outline of some of 
the more prominent features of this truly mag 
nificent edifice. 

In the first place, I would remark that it is 
situated on the western bank of the Thames, is 




Sights in and about London. 59 

in the Gothic style of architecture, and is 940 
feet long, and some 200 feet wide. These im- 
mense lines of walls are broken at proper in- 
tervals by bold projecting square towers, but- 
tressed, and panneled, and ornamented from 
bottom to top, and terminating in richly orna- 
mented pinnacles. In fact the entire walls are 
decorated with panneled buttresses between the 
windows, each one terminating at the top in 
ornamented pinnacles, so that the whole sky-line 
of wall is studded with towers, turrets, oriels, 
and pinnacles from one end of the building to 
the other. Of the different towers, two are 
worthy of special notice. One of these is on 
the northwest angle of the building, the other 
on the southwest anglp. The former is the clock 
tower, which is square, and also panneled and 
buttressed, terminating in a lantern spire richly 
gilded, and is over 300 feet high. The princi- 
pal feature, however, of this tower, is its great 
clock, which is ^wenty-three feet and six inches 
across the dial, and is the largest in the world, 
that is, where the clock is an integral part of 
the design. The latter, or Yictoria tower, as it 
is called, on the other end, is the largest and 
highest tower in the world, it being seventy -five 
feet square, and 386 feet high. The summit of 
the tower, which is crowned with four pinnacles, 
has a pierced parapet of appropriate design. 
The lower part, which is pierced by a gigantic 
archway, fifty feet high, is appropriated exclu- 



6o 



Wonders of the East. 



sively to the use of the sovereign who enters 
here to open and close Parliament. 

Bat let us enter within. The first apartment 
is the Koyal Gallery, 110 feet by forty-five feet, 
and is forty -five feet high. Here frescoes, paint- 
ings, emblazoned shields with the arms of the 
kings of England and Scotland, and beautiful 
glass-stained windows, meet the eye on every 
side, while a splendidly panneled and decorated 
ceiling crowns the whole. In the niches of the 
doorways and bay windows, are placed gilded 
statues of Henry V. and Elizabeth, "William 
HI. and Anne, Eichard I., Edward III., Wil- 
liam L, and Alfred. From this room we passed 
through a splendid doorway to the Prince's 
Chamber, which is a sort of ante-room to the 
House of Lords. Directly opposite the entrance 
is a beautiful marble group consisting of a 
collossal statue of Queen Victoria, seated upon 
a throne, with the figures of Justice and Mercy 
standing on either side of her. 

From this we passed through another gor- 
geously decorated doorway to the House of 
Lords. The first thing that arrested my atten- 
tion on entering this truly magnificent hall was 
Victoria's throne, all dazzling with burnished 
gold. To say that it is splendid, is, I know, to 
say but little toward giving an idea of its gran- 
deur and richness, and yet this is all I shall say 
at present. There was all around me a wonder- 
ful display of wealth and beauty. In fact the 



Sights in and about London. 61 



entire room corresponds with the throne. Its 
walls are adorned with the portraits of some 
fifteen Kings and Queens, besides many paint- 
ings illustrating important events in English 
history. The entire room is exceedingly rich in 
elaborate decorations, consisting of royal mono- 
grams, quatrefoils, crowns, roses, shields, armo- 
rial bearings, statuary, splendidly carved cano- 
pies, sculptured ornaments, and pendants more 
or less glittering with gold. The ceiling is also 
beautiful beyond description. Even the mas- 
sive tie beams that divide the ceiling into large 
pannels are apparently of solid gold. 

From this room we passed to the Peer's Lobby. 
Here are painted the arms of the six different 
royal lines, who have swayed the English scep- 
ter — the Saxon, Norman, Plantagent, Tudor, 
Stuart, and Hanoverian, each surmounted with 
a royal crown, besides many other things of 
special interest. Next we entered the Peer's 
Library, and then the Peer's Eobing Room. 
Next, the Central Hall, sixty feet in diameter, 
octagonal in form, and vaulted over with stone ; 
the panels formed by the intersections of these 
enormous ribs of the roof, are inlaid with Yeni- 
tian glass, mosaic, and forming various devices^ 
such as royal badges, &c. The eight arches 
form great doorways leading to all parts of the 
building. From this we entered the apartment 
called the Lower Waiting Hall, then the Upper 
Waiting Hall, next St. Stephen's Hall, in which 



62 



Wonders of the East. 



are marble statues of Selden, Hampden, Olar- 
enden, Walpole, Mansfield, Burke, Fox, Pitt, 
and several others. "We then descended into 
St. Stephen's Crypt, which literally glitters with 
gold. This room is ancient and rich in design 
and associations. We next entered the House 
of Commons [in the same building.) This is 
very common, indeed, especially when compared 
with the House of Lords. 

"We next visited Westminster Hall. Although 
this structure joins the new Parliament building, 
it is not an integral part of it. It has a historic 
interest reaching back through many ages. It is 
said to have been built in 1097, and almost rebuilt 
in 1398 by Richard EL The first great public 
act that took place in it was the formal deposi- 
tion of that very king himself in 1399. From 
the year 1224 until the present time all the 
great law courts of England have been estab- 
lished here. Here Cromwell was declared 
Lord Protector of England, and then a few 
years later his head was stuck up here on a pole 
as a mark of infamy. Here the famous trial of 
W 7 arren Hastings was held. Here Sir Thomas 
Moore and Stafford were condemned to die. 
Here, too, Charles I. was tried and sent to the 
scaffold, and many others of note have here 
been tried and condemned, but I have not time 
to dwell. 

From here I went to Windsor, twenty-one 
miles, by rail, for the purpose of visiting 



Sights in and about London. 



63 



"Windsor Castle. — This is the summer resi- 
dence of Queen Yictoria. The Castle was ori- 
ginally built by "William the Conqueror, in the 
eleventh century, so that for eight hundred 
years it has been the abode of royalty. It is 
located in a beautiful district of country, and 
commands a fine view for miles around. The 
Castle is in the form of a hollow square, three 
of the outer sides of which are surrounded with 
a beautiful terrace. It is divided into two 
courts, or wards, the upper and lower, with a 
round tower between them, and separated from 
them, and which is sometimes called the middle 
ward, which includes St. George's Chapel ; the 
whole covering about twelve acres. Around 
this are several batteries and towers for defence. 
The upper ward on the north side contains the 
royal apartments, and is called the star build- 
ing, in consequence of a star and garter of gold 
on the outside, about midway of the structure. 
This part is said to contain about one hundred 
furnished rooms. Those to which we were 
admitted are the State Apartments, consisting 
of the Queen's Audience Chamber, the Yandyck 
Room (formerly the ball room), the Queen's 
State Drawing Koom, the Grand Stair Case, 
the Grand Vestibule, the "Waterloo Chamber, 
or Grand Reception Room, St. George's Hall, 
and the Guard Chamber. All of these rooms, 
as might be expected, are spacious and exquis- 
itely elegant. The St. George's Hall is 200 feet 



6 4 



Wonders of the East. 



long, thirty-four wide and thirty-two feet high. 
I have not, however, time nor space to describe 
them ; suffice it to say, that these rooms are gor- 
geously decorated with statuary, paintings, tap- 
estry, frescos, carvings, and a profusion of 
gilding, besides being furnished by superb 
suits of furniture. 

From these we passed into the St. George's 
Chapel, said to be the largest and most splendid 
of the three royal chapels in England. The 
interior is built in the form of an ellipsis, and 
the roof, which is remarkable for its elaborate 
and leafy work, is supported by lofty columns. 
Its walls are richly decorated with banners and 
paintings by Verio. The altar is embellished 
with a beautiful painting of the " Last Supper," 
by West. On each side of the choir, above the 
altar, are the throne seats or stalls, as they are 
called, of the royal family. On each side of 
the choir are the seats or stalls of the Knights 
of the Garter, canopied with a tracery of carved 
net-work, surmounted with their respective 
banners, and the Helmet, Crest, Sword and 
Mantle of each Knight, with armorial bearings. 
A brass plate at the back of each stall records 
his name, style, and title. At the foot of the 
steps leading to the altar is the entrance to the 
royal vault. Here are deposited the remains of 
Charles L, Henry VIIL, and Jane Seymour 
In the north aisle is the tomb of Edward IV., 
the name being inscribed in raised letters of 



Sights in and abotit London. 65 



brass on a black marble slab. In the south 
aisle is the tomb of the unfortunate King Henry 
VI. These are only samples of many others 
where the dust of the great finds a resting 
place. There is one other, however, that deeply 
impressed me, namely, the cenataph of the late 
lamented Princess Charlotte, daughter of 
George IY. It consists of a splendid monu- 
mental group of w r hite marble, representing the 
body of the deceased Princess, lying on the bed 
upon which she had just died, covered with a 
sheet, w r hile the outline of the body is clearly 
seen, while around are attendants kneeling and 
weeping in the deepest anguish and sorrow. A 
mousoleum forms the background, from which 
her spirit is seen ascending, attended and sup- 
ported by two angels, one of wh ich bears her 
infant child. A rich canopy surmounts the 
whole. Her sad end is supposed to have been 
the result of the malpractice of her physician, 
who immediately afterwards shot himself. 

At the east end of the chapel is a royal mau- 
soleum that was commenced by Cardinal Wool- 
sey for himself, but his overwhelming misfor- 
tunes that completed his ruin, prevented his 
either finishing it, or occupying it after death. 
It was finally finished by George III., where his 
own remains are laid, as were also those of his 
wife, his son (George IY.), the Duke of York, 
the Duke of Kent, and others. In a w T ord, as 
you stand beneath the lofty arches of this ven- 



66 



Wonders of the East, 



erable pile, all around you stand monuments of 
exquisite workmanship, and of costly sculptured 
decorations that tell a mournful story of de- 
parted greatness, and the vanity of all earthly 
glory. 

From the Royal Chapel we went to the 
Round Tower, which is approached by one 
hundred steps ; at the top of which is seen pro- 
jecting through the wall a cannon commanding 
the range of the entire staircase. From this 
point you ascend to the top of the tower by 
winding steps. From the summit a fine view 
of the surrounding country is obtained, includ- 
ing Eaton College. 

From the tower we visited the royal stables, 
where I saw some seventy horses, and about 
sixty carriages of various sizes, and for various 
occasions. Of course all these were very fine. 

The public and private grounds are laid out 
with exquisite taste, so as to secure great beauty 
and are very extensive. It is said that they 
contain about thirty miles of carriage road, 
winding backward and forward, that can be 
driven without once crossing your track. A 
short distance from the Castle, in the private 
grounds, is a most superb mausoleum recently 
erected by Queen Victoria to the memory of 
her husband, Prince Albert. But this we were 
not permitted to see, as it is visited only by the 
royal family, except on the anniversary of his 
death, and even then, only by a select few. 



Sketches on the Rhine. 67 



Adjoining the public grounds to which I have 
already referred is the Royal Park, which is of 
great extent, embracing 1,800 acres, and con- 
taining, as I was told by one of the officers of 
the Castle, several thousand deer. It is certainly 
a royal affair. But I fear that I have already 
trespassed upon the patience of my readers, and 
w r ill therefore close this imperfect sketch of the 
House of Parliament and Windsor Castle. 



Rotterdam — Wind-mills — Ship- Canals — Statue 
of .Erasmus — Dykes — D usseldorf — Cologne — 
Its Churches — Mrs.Adoehfs Burial and Re- 
surrection— The Cathedral— Bonn— Drachen- 
pels — JSolandseck — A Famous Love-Story — 
Mayence — Frankfort — Galleries of Art — • 
The Cathedral. t 

"TTVROM London I took passage to Rotterdam, 



JJ which is situated on the river Maus, and 
contains about 120,000 inhabitants, and is one 
of the most important commercial cities in 
Holland. I staid here near two days, during 
which time, I saw all there is to be seen of 
interest in the place. One of the novel features 



L1TTEE VII. 



SKETCHES ON THE RHINE. 




68 



Wonders of the East. 



of the city that I noticed on approaching it, was 
its numerous wind-mills. I afterwards, from 
an elevation that overlooked the city, counted 
fifty-two. Another leading characteristic is its 
system of ship canals that thread its principal 
streets from one side of the city to the other, 
spanned by scores of draw-bridges to accommo- 
date both commerce and travel. I visited the 
Cathedral, which contains some fine monuments 
to the celebrated De "Witt and others. But 
that which interested me most, was the bronze 
statue cf the very learned, but timid and hesita- 
ting Erasmus, which stands fronting the market. 
He holds a book in his hands, into which he is 
looking with, apparently, deep interest and 
penetration. It is very fitting that the city that 
gave him birth should thus honor him with a 
statue. 

From Rotterdam I proceeded by a steamer to 
Cologne. Travelers generally complain of this 
part of the route as being monotonous and tire- 
some. I have been, however, very much inter- 
ested in it. I have been much surprised at the 
size and extent of those dykes that flank both 
sides of the river for about two hundred miles. 
This system of embankment along the rivers 
and the sea to keep the waters from flooding 
the country, is certainly the greatest public work 
I have ever seen. 

I landed at Dusseldorf, which I found to be a 
very antiquated looking city. Its streets are 



Sketches on the Rhine. 69 



narrow and crooked. The Cathedral is a very 
common looking affair, yet it is well furnished. 
It contains some dozen altars, some of which are 
very fine. On the outside of the building is a 
sculptured or cast representation of Christ and 
the two thieves on crosses, while beneath them 
stand two men and two women apparently 
overwhelmed with grief. All the figures are 
life-size. Under the cross of Christ is suspend- 
ed a large lantern in which were eleven candles 
burning, which, I suppose, represent the eleven 
Apostles, Judas having hanged himself. 

From here I proceeded to Cologne. This is 
a very old city. It is said to have been founded 
by Agrippina, daughter of the Roman Emperor, 
Germanicus. Ton see here everywhere evi- 
dence of age in its crumbling edifices, and in 
its crooked and narrow streets. With a few 
exceptions, its sidewalks will not average more 
than two feet wide. The buildings, however, 
are generally substantial, and many of its stores 
are fine, especially in the arcades. It stretches 
along the river about two miles, in the shape of 
a half moon, and contains a population of over 
100,000. Its history has been a varied one. It 
was utterly laid waste by fire and sword by the 
Normans in A. D. 863. Here, too, in 1349, all 
the Jewish houses were set on fire by the Roman 
Catholics, and most of the families perished in the 
flames. In 1685 fourteen hundred Protestants 
were driven out of the city by the same sect. 



70 



Wonders of the East. 



Its interest to the tourist, however, consists 
chiefly in its churches. I have visited several 
of them, among which the Church of the Apos- 
tles, St. Mary's, St. Peter's, St. Mesula's, and 
the Cathedral are the principal. I attended 
services in the three last named, and heard the 
rich melody of fine toned organs, as well as 
some excellent singing. The Church of the 
Apostles is quite an imposing structure, and 
peculiar in style. The choir is formed by three 
semi-circles, surmounted by as many cupolas. 
The principal one is octagonal, while the other 
two are slender minerets. But that which made 
it especially interesting to me, was the fact that 
here during the plague of 1357, Madame Adocht, 
while in a cataleptic fit (supposed to be dead), 
was, after the funeral service was over, put in 
the family vault of her husband, and during 
the following night, the sexton and undertaker 
having seen upon her finger a valuable ring, 
entered the vault, opened the coffin, and in his 
endeavors to force the ring from her swollen 
finger, started the blood, which broke the fit, 
and the lady came to, uttering at the same time 
a startling groan. The sexton fled in terror, 
leaving the vault open. She very soon realized 
her terrible situation, and with much difficulty 
arose and finally found her way home to the 
utter astonishment of her family, who were in 
turn frightened almost to death at her sudden 
and unexpected appearance before them with 



Sketches on the Rhine. ji 



her grave clothes, looking far more ghostly than 
human. In this same vault her remains now 
rest, not to awaken again, however, until the 
blast of the trumpet at the last day. 

St. Peter's contains Ruben's masterpiece of 
the crucifixion in the form of a superb paint- 
ing. St. Mary's is claimed to be over one thou- 
sand years old. St. Mesula's contains a large 
number of exposed human bones, said to be the 
bones of eleven thousand virgins, who were 
murdered by the Huns a long time ago. But 
the most important edifice of all is the Cathe- 
dral. It is a most magnificent gothic structure, 
built in the form of a Latin cross, and is 440 
feet long. The nave is 150 feet, while at the 
transepts it is much wider. The central arches 
are 160 feet high, the side naves, or arches 65, 
which are supported by 102 clustered columns, 
each over 16 feet in circumference. It is said 
to have been commenced in 1248, and is not yet 
finished. The southern tower is really crumb- 
ling with age, while the northern tower is com- 
paratively new. Both towers, which at present 
rise but a short distance above the peak of the 
roof, are to be surmounted with lofty spires. It 
is, in fact, this part of the building that lacks 
completion. 

Leaving Cologne, we immediately entered 
the more interesting part of the Rhine. But a 
short distance on, we came to Bonn, which con- 
tains some 20,000 inhabitants, and is said to be 



72 



Wonders of the East. 



one of the oldest towns on this famous river. It 
was a city eighteen hundred years ago, and was 
then called Verona by the Romans. It has a fine 
university with a library of 100,000 volumes. 
Its Cathedral with four towers, which dates back 
to the twelfth century, is said to stand on the 
site of a heathen temple to Mars. 

After leaving Bonn, the mountainous portion 
of the Rhine is soon reached. The first land 
elevation of any importance is what is called 
the Drachenpels. Here is a craggy cone, 1,170 
feet high, crowned with an old castle built in 
1117. Near by it stands one of the most cele- 
brated monuments in Europe, which was erected 
in memory of those who fell in the passage of 
the Rhine, in the face of the first Napoleon's 
forces, in 1811:. Around this cone are seven 
other mountain peaks rising from 900 to 1,200 
feet high, making a fine group of mountain 
scenery. 

On the other side of the river, nearly opposite, 
stands, on a high eminence, the celebrated Cas- 
tle of Rolandseck. There is quite an interest- 
ing love affair connected with this, that adds 
much to its importance in the estimation of all 
who are fond of romance. As near as I re- 
member the story, it is briefly as follows : 

One Roland, a celebrated Knight, became 
ardently attached to a certain young lady, who 
seems to have reciprocated his affections. In 
the midst, however, of the indulgence of these 



Sketches on the Rhine. 73 

tender emotions, and the interchange of kindred 
thoughts and feelings between them, their 
country is invaded ; and Eoland is called to its 
defence. A battle is fought at Eoncesvalles, 
and word is brought to this young lady that 
Eoland is among the slain. Overwhelmed with 
grief, she at once resolved to banish herself for- 
ever from the world, as she now felt that she 
had nothing left worth living for. Accordingly 
she took the veil, and entered a nunnery situated 
on an island in the Ehine at this point (the 
ruins of which are still to be seen). Some time 
after, Eoland, who had not been slain as re- 
ported, returned to renew their love and plighted 
vows, when, to his horror and amazement, he 
learned that she, who was all the world to him, 
was shut up for ever in this nunnery, under 
vows and obligations that she would not be per- 
mitted to violate, however anxious she might 
be to do so. This state of things became to 
him the more distressing and painful on his 
learning that this deplorable step of hers was 
taken, solely because of the love she bore to 
him. As he now well knew that they could 
never meet again under any circumstances, he 
resolved to do what to him seemed the next 
best thing in the form of comfort, namely, to 
build this Castle, directly opposite this nunnery 
from which he could enjoy the satisfaction of 
looking down upon the building that contained 
the idol of his soul. 



74 



Wonders of the East. 



It would be interesting to dwell upon the 
startling narrations and legends of these numer- 
ous castles, scattered, as they are, all along the 
Rhine, did time and space permit. But I can- 
not dwell upon them now. There is probably 
not another river that pours its waters into the 
sea, that is so thickly crowded with old histori- 
cal associations, legendary interest, and thrilling 
romance, as the Rhine. Its terraced and vine- 
clad banks reaching far up the mountain sides 
— its numerous fortresses upon rocky heights — 
its grand old ruins dating back to medieval 
times — its natural and picturesque sublimity — 
its artistic beauty, and its castellated mountain 
cliffs ; are all full of the strange witchery of 
romance and fascination. All day long I could 
scarcely take time to eat, for gazing on the con- 
stantly changing scenes of interest, as the steamer 
sped her way on, and on, continually revealing 
something new, until we reached the city of 
Mayence, the place of our destination. 

Mayenee is a commercial town of considera- 
ble importance, and heavily fortified. Its streets 
are narrower, as a general thing, than any I have 
seen before. As a rule, there are no side-walks, 
the streets being but seven or eight feet wide, 
and crooked. Here, however, Guttenberg, the 
inventor of movable type, was born. I felt it 
to be a great privilege to see his statue, and the 
house in which he lived. 

The Cathedral is an immense pile of red sand- 



Sketches on the Rhine. 75 



stone, but with unsightly surroundings. Its 
sealings are plain, but its tombs and altars are 
rich in sculpture and ornamentation. 

From this point I took the cars to Frankfort- 
on-the-Main, where I spent the Sabbath. In the 
morning I attended services at the English 
Church, where I felt it quite a treat to hear the 
English language once more. In the afternoon I 
went to a Protestant Evangelical German Church, 
where I heard good music, and I suppose good 
preaching. The speaker had a good voice, and 
pleasant gesticulations, and his theme seemed to 
be the giving of the law on Sinai, but I confess I 
was not much edified, as he preached in German. 

Frankfort is one of the oldest and most inter- 
esting cities of Germany. The Emperor Char- 
lemagne is said to have had a palace here in the 
eighth century. Here all the earlier emperors 
of Germany were elected and crowned. In the 
Town Hall (a building five hundred years old) 
I saw the Picture Gallery, containing all the 
portraits of the emperors of Germany, (fifty- 
two in number) from the year 912 to 1806. 
Ever since the twelfth century Frankfort has been 
a free city,- and the capital of the Germanic 
Confederation until 1866, when it was absorbed 
by Prussia. It is a place of great wealth, and 
has been for more than a hundred years one of 
the great moneyed centers of Europe. Here 
the Rothschilds originally lived and made much 
of their money. The bankers of this city took 



7 6 



Wonders of the East. 



more of our Government bonds during our 
recent war than any other city on this continent. 
In the old part of the town, are narrow and 
crooked streets, lined with projecting houses 
from 100 to 500 years old. The suburbs, how. 
ever, and the newer portions, have spacious and 
well shaded avenues, along which rise stately 
mansions with all the adornments that taste and 
wealth usually furnish. Here, too, the celebrated 
Goethe was born, and here stands his statue. 

I was very much interested in visiting the 
State Museum and Academy, which contain 
fine collections of painting and statuary. 

The Cathedral is large but not handsome. Its 
surroundings are miserable. It has the reputa- 
tion, however, of dating back to the thirteenth 
century, and yet it is not finished. The scaffold- 
ing is still up around the tower, and looks as 
though it had been there a long time. "Within, 
however, there are some fine sculpture and 
statuary. The monuments of the Emperors, 
Gunther and Rudolph of Sachsenhausen, more 
particularly so. Why so many of these Cathe- 
drals should remain unfinished, I can not im- 
agine, unless the Reformation had something to 
do with it, in diminishing the resources of the 
Papacy. 



Sketches on the Rhine. 77 



LETTER VIII. 



sketches on the rhine. — Continued. 

City of Worms. — Luther's Heroism. — His 
Statue. — Heidelberg. — Its Castle, etc., etc. — 
Strasburg. — Its War Scars. — Tombs. — Cathe- 
dred. — Astronomical Clock. — Bale. — The 
Alps. — Geneva. 



JL l This city has the distinction of being one 
of the oldest cities in Europe. It is known to 
have been in existence for more than eighteen 
hundred years, and is therefore certainly vene- 
rable with age. It has many antiquities of 
interest ; and its ten-towered cathedral is con- 
sidered matchless as a specimen of Romanesque 
architecture. But it was not because of any, or 
all of these facts, that made me anxious to see 
this city. It w T as rather an historical fact, that 
has thrilled and well nigh revolutionized the 
w r orld, Here in this very city Luther was sum- 
moned to appear before an august Diet called 
by Maximillian I., in 1521, to answer to the 
charge of heresy. While on his way to this 
place, his friends sought to dissuade him from 
proceeding farther and trusting himself in the 
hands of those who were seeking his life-blood ; 
to whom he heroically answered, " Though there 




Frankfort I took the cars to Worms. 



78 



Wonders of the East. 



were as many devils in Worms as there are tiles 
on the roofs of the houses, I would go on." 
Here he accordingly appeared before the Em- 
peror Charles Y. and his nobles, and a multi- 
tude of Romish prelates, who were intent on 
his destruction. And here, in this Grand As- 
sembly, wheii called upon to recant — to renounce 
the doctrines and principles of the Reformation, 
he stood up, and looking around on the assem- 
bly, replied, "Let me then be refuted and con- 
vinced by the testimony of the Scriptures, or by 
the clearest argument ; otherwise I can not and 
will not recant, for it is neither safe nor expe- 
dient to act against conscience. Here I take my 
stand / 1 caii do no otherwise, so help me God ! 
Amen? Never was there an instance of sub- 
limer heroism since the death of the martyr 
Stephen, than that of the great reformer on the 
above occasion. 

At the entrance to a sort of park, upon an 
elevated stone terrace, there has, within a few 
years past been erected, at great cost, a fine 
group of monumental bronze statuary, repre- 
senting Luther, surrounded with the early Re- 
formers, and the faithful electors who stood by 
him in his trials. The figure of Luther is cen- 
tral and colossal, as lie was in his day. He 
looks the very impersonification of calm, digni- 
fied boldness, and I almost imagined, as I gazed 
upon his statue, that 1 heard him uttering the 
words that are inscribed beneath him : " Here 



Sketches on the Rhine. 



79 



1 lake my stand" etc. As I thought upon the 
fact that Germany had given us the hero of the 
Reformation, and had given us Guttenberg also ; 
the first to lead the way in the paths of divine 
truth ; the second, to show us how to put that 
truth in a form that would reach all mankind, 
I felt like exclaiming, Germany, live forever ! 

Heidelberg. — This is generally regarded as 
one of the handsomest towns in Germany. It 
has a world of historical interest associated with 
it in connection w r ith the electors palatine, who 
formerly made this their seat. One of the lead- 
ing features of the place is its half-ruined castle, 
which is said to have been built in the fourteenth 
century. It is a massive structure, and most 
admirably situated, to make it impregnable. 
As a stronghold it must have been vastly su- 
perior to any of the old castles on the Rhine, 
or even the Castle of Edinburgh, or Windsor. 
Besides, there has been an immense expendi- 
ture on it in the form of statuary and elaborate 
sculptured ornamentation. From the Castle 
(which is built on a high bluff of rocks) there 
is a fine bird's-eye view of the city, which lies 
like a map far below you. I tried to fix on the 
precise locality that Dr. Kost spoke of in one 
of his letters, where, when he was here, in com- 
ing down the hill he became entangled among 
the vineyards, etc., but I am not sure of the 
exact place. I felt also a great pleasure in 



80 Wonders of the East, 

visiting the Church of St. Peter, because, here 
on its door Jerome of Prague, heroically nailed 
his Theses, boldly bidding defiance to the Pope. 
And although they cruelly burned him at last 
as a heretic, his doctrines and principles still 
live, and are marching on to victory. 

Heidelberg is also noted for its celebrated 
university, which ranks among the first in Eu- 
rope. From its halls some of the finest and 
best cultured intellects have gone forth. 

From this point I went by rail to Strasburg, 
which is a very ancient city, having been 
founded by the Romans, under Augustus. It 
has passed through many vicissitudes of war 
and peace. It was wrested from the Germans, 
some two hundred years ago, by the French, 
who had held it ever since, until September 28, 
1870, when it was surrendered by Gen. Uhrich 
to the Germans, after a long siege and deter- 
mined defence. In this struggle the city suf- 
fered severely ; the fortifications were partly 
demolished, and the garrison and people brought 
to the very verge of starvation. During the 
siege, at times, the bombardment of the city 
was terrific : and manv and lasting are the 
marks and ruin left by shot and shell. The 
public buildings suffered most. The law build- 
ings, with many others, are a mass of ruins. 
Even the Museum, which, I am told, contained 
a very choice collection, besides a very exten- 
sive public library, was also destroy ed ; with all 



Sketches on the Rhine. 81 



its contents. The front of it, which is, in part, 
still standing, shows that the building was a 
noble structure. The new-patched roofs and 
mended walls of private residences, in every 
direction, all over the city, show how great 
must have been the peril everywhere during 
the bombardment. I am told that the feeling 
of the people here generally is very bitter 
against the Germans ; that they intensely hate 
German rule, etc., but they must, nevertheless, 
submit. They are held with a firm grasp. I 
have seen an abundance of troops everywhere 
since I entered Germany, but nowhere else have 
I seen such large numbers as here. The nu- 
merous squads you meet passing from one part 
of the city to another, and the number of senti- 
nels posted on the corners of the streets, would 
lead you to infer, did you not know otherwise, 
that the city was still under martial law. 

I first visited the old church of St. Thomas. 
I here saw the sarcophagus of Bishop Adelogue, 
who died in a. d. 836 ; also the splendid 
tomb of Marshal Saxe, said to be one of the 
handsomest in Europe. It consists of a sculp- 
tured group of the finest marble. There stands 
the Marshal, with the open tomb just before 
him, and the skeleton Death, with his drawn 
spear, about to give the fatal blow. Mercy, in 
the form of an angel, is in the act of staying the 
hand of Death, while France, represented by 
another beautiful figure, is weeping. There is 



82 Wonders of the East. 



also near by this tomb the glass-covered coffins 
containing the ghastly embalmed remains of 
Count Nassau Salberg and his daughter, of the 
sixteenth century. The skin on the face of the 
Count remains unbroken ; not so with his daugh- 
ter. On one of the bony fingers of the latter, I 
noticed a beautiful diamond ring that still 
flashed with brightness. She is also richly 
dressed, from head to foot (as can be seen, the 
glass coverings, in both cases, extending the 
whole length of the coffins). But oh I how 
changed these forms from what they were when 
living ! "What a sad comment on all that re- 
lates to wealth and distinction here ! In another 
part of the building I was shown where a can- 
non ball had come crashing through the wall of 
the church, and a statue of one of the saints that 
it had partly demolished. 

From here I hurried to the cathedral, which 
for many long years I had been hoping to see. 
This noble structure, which is the pride of the 
city, and a master-piece of Gothic architecture, 
was commenced in the thirteenth century, and 
was over four hundred years in building. There 
is, about this vast pile, such a variety — I might 
say, such a wilderness of statues ; such a pro- 
fusion of sculptured ornamentation ; such a 
wonderful grouping of figures in has-reliefs / 
and such delicacy of execution in Gothic tracery ; 
involving such elaborate designs, such exquisite 
taste, such mathematical combinations, incalcu- 



Sketches on the Rhine. 83 



lable cost, and interminable labor that no ade- 
quate description could be given, or even out- 
line, in a single letter, nor will I attempt it. On 
every side your admiration is excited. The 
massiveness and height of its clustered columns 
and arches, the splendor of its organ (all glitter- 
ing with gold), and the richness of its side 
chapels, surprise you. Even the great brass 
doors of the triple portal are adorned with bas- 
reliefs representing fourteen of the Old Testa- 
ment prophets, the wise and foolish virgins, the 
crucifixion of Christ, the martyrdom of the 
apostles, the last judgment, etc. But the chief 
outward beauty of this wonderful structure is 
its immense spire, which is the highest steeple 
in the world, rising to the enormous altitude of 
four hundred and seventy-five feet ; and yet, so 
profusely ornamented with delicate tracery that 
it more resembles lace-work than a stone struc- 
ture. 

But, after all, the crowding glory of this 
cathedral is its astronomical clock — the greatest 
piece of mechanism of the kind in the world. 
It stands inside of the building, and is separate 
and distinct from it. It is, I should judge, some 
twenty feet wide, and fifty feet high. On each 
day it tells the time of the sun's rising and set- 
ting, his position in the zodiac, the position of 
all the planets, the eclipses, the phases of the 
moon, besides a surprising amount of skill shown 
in the movement of various figures. But the 



84 Wonders of the East. 



most remarkable of the latter is seen at the hour 
of twelve, when a figure, representing an old 
man, strikes the bell four times with a hammer, 
denoting that the fourth quarter of the hour has 
expired ; another figure turns the hour-glass ; 
father Time strikes the hour of twelve ; the 
twelve apostles come out from a side doorway, 
one by one, and as each passes in front of the 
figure of the Saviour, he turns around and bows 
to Him, at the same time Christ stretches forth 
His hand over him to bless him. While air this 
is transpiring simultaneously, the cock, which 
is perched on the top of the clock, flaps his 
wings, and stretches up and curves his neck, 
and crows three times. 

From here, I proceeded to Basle, in Switzer- 
land. This is a very handsome city ; its cathe- 
dral, however, is quite ordinary, and contains 
the homeliest sculpture and statuary that I had 
ever seen before. 

From Basle I hastened forward for Geneva, 
stopping at Berne only long enough to make 
connection. Long before we reached Geneva, 
we came in sight of the Alpine range of moun- 
tains ; and from that point, all the rest of the 
way, the scene increased in grandeur and sub- 
limity. These towering elevations far exceeded 
my expectation. Hour after hour I gazed with 
increasing wonder. This vast pile of earth and 
rocks is not rounded and wooded, but studded 
with angular cones and jagged ridges, cutting 



Sketches on the Rhine. 85 



the sky, in many instances, with sharp, vertical 
lines ; looking like the temples of Jehovah , 
whose tops and domes embrace and kiss the 
highest passing clouds, and greet the rising sun 
long before man knows of his coming. These 
giant forms, as though too pure for earth, in 
virgin whiteness all glistening with eternal 
snows, tower on high to greet the skies — for 
they rear their heads above the line of vegeta- 
tion. Their very summer is the desolation of 
winter's winds and storms. The dreariness of 
solitude reigns among their peaks supreme. No 
human being dwells there ; no beast roams 
there ; no bird builds its nest there. All is 
silent as the grave, save the howling of fierce 
tempests and the crashing thunder of mighty 
avalanches. So numerous are these mountain 
peaks, that one seems to be gazing upon a giant 
marshaled host, with heads white-plumed, wait- 
ing the command of the Eternal. But the 
highest and mightiest of them all, as though 
born to command, is Mount Blanc, rearing his 
awful form to the altitude of 15,810 feet ; and 
as if to add to the grandeur of the scene, white 
fleecy clouds lay along the sky and among these 
snowy peaks, so as in many instances to hide 
their sides from view, while their summits 
towered high above them. 

Geneva. — We reached Geneva just before 
sunset. This is an old city, and was in exist- 



86 



Wonders of the East, 



ence before the Christian era, of which mention 
is made by Julius Csesar. But it has other 
claims to honor. Here the Reformation took a 
deep hold, under the labors of John Calvin, who 
had been expelled from France in 1535. The 
old cathedral in which he preached — a plain, 
substantial, Romanesque stone building — is still 
in good repair, although it was completed away 
back by Emperor Conrad II., in 1024. 

Here is also the home of Dr. D'Aubigne, the 
great historian of the Reformation. 

The places of general interest are the Hotel 
de Ville, the Public Library, founded by Cal- 
vin, the Museum of Natural History, and the 
Museum of Ancient Curiosities or Antiquities. 
In the latter, I was much impressed with the 
appearance of an unwrapped Egyptian mummy, 
said to be three thousand years old, and which 
had been taken from ancient Thebes. I was 
also shown the house in which Rousseau was 
born, and also his garden, as it is called, where 
he was wont to retire and spend his leisure 
hours. 

Geneva is a fine city, with a greater number 
of large, elegant buildings in it, in proportion 
to its size, than any city I have yet seen. In 
fact, I have seen thrift and enterprise on every 
hand, ever since I entered Switzerland. 



Scenes in Italy, 



87 



LETTER IX. 

SCENES IN ITALY. FROM GENEVA TO VENICE. 

Mt. Cents Tunnel, — Turin. — Churches. — Pal- 
ace. — Country Scenery. — Milan. — Its Cathe- 
dral. — Painting of the Last Supper. — An- 
cient Tombs. — Library. — Verona. — Venice. — 
Gondolas. — Church of St. Marie. — The Dogds 
Palace. — Bridge of Sighs. — Rialto. 

FEOM Geneva to the Mt. Cenis tunnel, our 
route, for more than a hundred miles, lay 
through a wild and romantic region. Both 
upon our right and left, towered up, at short 
intervals, irregular craggy cones, bluffs of mas- 
sive rock, and frowning precipices. This road 
must have been built at an immense cost — high 
embankments, stone arches, iron bridges, a suc- 
cession of tunnels, and heavy grades, being 
common features of the line. About four 
o'clock in the afternoon, we reached the great 
tunnel which pierces Mt. Cenis, that separates 
France and Italy. This is the most stupendous 
work of the kind in the world. From the time 
we entered until we emerged into the light on 
the other side, was twenty-seven minutes. Some 
three hours more brought us to Turin. 

Turin is situated in that part of Italy known 
as Piedmont, and was long the capital of Sar- 
dinia, and, until the removal of the seat of gov- 



88 



Wonders of the East. 



ernment to Florence, that of the lately erected 
kingdom of Italy. It is an old city, having 
been stormed by the Emperor Constantine, 
about a. d. 330. It has a population of over 
200,000, and has some fine public squares and 
a large amount of statuary. 

The Museum contains a fine collection, which 
is most admirably arranged and well worth 
visiting, even by the most hurried tourist. 

Among the churches, that known as the Me- 
tropolitan Church of St. John the Baptist, is 
the most noted. It is built in the florid Gothic 
style, and although not very imposing exter- 
nally, yet interiorally it is rich in costly decora- 
tions. Its arrangement is somewhat peculiar. 
Behind the high altar is a second church, to 
which you ascend, from the first, by a flight of 
thirty-seven steps of marble. This part of the 
church is in a circular form, and is lighted in a 
very singular manner from the dome, which is 
a marvel of itself. This upper chapel contains 
some very fine tombs of distinguished person- 
ages. Among these is that of Marie Adelaide, 
former wife of King Yictor Emanuel, who died 
in 1856. N"ear her tomb is a very beautiful 
marble statue of her, of virgin whiteness. 

I also visited the Royal Palace. This, exter- 
nally, is quite plain, in consequence of which I 
felt a degree of disappointment when I first 
came in sight of it. On entering it, however, 
this feeling soon gave place to surprise and ad- 



Scenes in Italy. 



8 9 



miration. Never before had I seen a greater 
profusion of ornamentation and splendor than 
I saw here, on every hand, throughout these 
royal apartments. Superb frescos of various 
designs and exquisite finish adorn the walls and 
ceilings, together with a lavish expenditure of 
carvings and gildings. The floors were inlaid 
with various colored wood in Mosaic forms of 
tasselation, and elegantly polished. The throne, 
a thing of rare beauty, looked like massive gold 
of superior workmanship. The palace is quite 
superior to the royal apartments that I saw at 
Windsor Castle, or even the House of Lords, in 
the Parliament buildings of London. 

Our route from Turin to Milan lay through 
a very level country, which has the appearance 
of much fertility. There is, however, evident 
want of enterprise and thrift among the people. 
When we left Geneva, there was a snow-storm 
in progress ; but here there had not been so 
much as a frost. For the whole of this distance 
we had a most delightful view of the Alps, from 
the southern side, lifting their snow-covered 
tops above the region of clouds. I felt a solemn 
awe, almost oppressive, as I gazed hour after 
hour upon these gigantic forms piled up against 
the sky like banks of fleecy clouds with points 
and peaks. 



Milan. — It was dark before we entered this 
city, and I was compelled to wait until morning 



go 



Wonders of the East. 



before seeing the cathedral. I could scarcely 
sleep, or wait for the morning. Consequently, 
the first place visited, after breakfast, was this 
renowned structure. This building, which was 
commenced in 1387, and which is not yet fin-* 
ished, is built of white marble, and is reckoned 
one of the grandest edifices in the world. It 
is of immense size, being, in this respect, next 
to St. Peter's, at Rome. It has a central tower 
and spire that rise to a great height, and one 
hundred and thirty-five other spires or pinna- 
cles that are surmounted with statues. No less 
than nineteen hundred and twenty-three statues 
adorn the exterior, and six hundred and seventy- 
nine the interior. There are some fifteen thou- 
sand flowers and scrolls upon the buttresses and 
other parts, with scarcely any two alike. There 
is a perfect wilderness of sculpture, paintings in 
fresco, and elaborate carvings, that have the 
appearance of gorgeous ostentation and vanity 
of display ; yet, as a work of art, it is superla- 
tively grand. One needs, however, to ascend 
to the top of the central spire, and from this 
point to look down upon its vast roofs and 
forests of spires, in order to take in its great di- 
mensions and its rare beauty. From this posi- 
tion one has also a fine bird's-eye view of the 
entire city. As I descended, I counted four 
hundred and eighty-seven steps. The interior 
is also superlatively magnificent. As you gaze 
on the lines of vast clustered columns that tower 



Scenes in Italy \ 



9* 



up in the dim distance above yon, the sense of 
greatness and grandeur fills the mind with awe 
and wonder. As you pass around its interior, 
you meet, every few steps, a chapel, with its 
shrine, its Christ on the cross, in some form of 
agony, surrounded with pictures, and flowers, 
and tinseled decorations. Perhaps a half-dozen 
priests, in different parts of the building, are 
attending service or hearing confession; while 
on every side, some are kneeling before the 
cross of some altar, some before the Yirgin, 
some before saints, some before the shrine of 
some tomb — all of them muttering, in low 
voices or whispers, their formal services. 

Among the many interesting things about 
this building is the crypt or chapel of St. Bor- 
romeo, where lies the blackened and shrunken 
form of this great Catholic Reformer, dressed 
in costly robes. There is a lavish expenditure 
of gold and silver that glitter in the light of 
ever-burning lamps around his tomb. 

I visited, as a matter of course, the Refrectory 
of the Convent of the Church of St Maria delle 
Grazia, and saw the famous original painting of 
the "Last Supper " by Leonado da Vinci. It 
did not, however, come up to my expectation, 
owing to the sad change that time has made 
upon it. It is so much faded and defaced that 
its beauty is well nigh destroyed. 

In the Church of St. Ambrose, among the 
tombs, I saw one of massive granite, which bore 



9 2 



Wonders of the East. 



the date of a. d. 800. It seems very singular 
to me to stand by tombs upon which the dust of 
a thousand years has gathered, and, did space 
permit, I should certainly indulge in a train of 
reflections upon the solemn associations of 
crumbling tombs, and obliterated names of the 
mighty dead of past ages. 

The Public Library of this city is justly cele- 
brated. The collection is large and choice. I 
saw here the original manuscript of Tasso's 
work, and many other rare curiosities. One of 
its interesting relics, which I shall not soon 
forget, was a lock of the hair of the famous 
Lucrezia Borgia. 

I should like, did space permit, to speak of 
the splendid triumphal arch, which is surmount- 
ed with a number of equestrian statues ; the 
public gardens, etc., etc., but I must pass them 

by. 

The country through which we passed from * 
Milan to Venice (a portion of the Valley of the 
Po), is very level and almost like a garden. 
On our left still loomed up in the distance the 
glorious Alps, that one neyer tires of seeing. 
On arriving at Verona, an ancient city, heavily 
fortified, I took a hasty ramble through its 
principal parts. There are many interesting 
ancient objects, some of them of historical im- 
portance, connected with this place. Here 
Marius fought his great battle with the Cim- 
brics ; here Theodoric the Goth, defeated 



Scenes in Italy. 



93 



Odoacer ; here Pliny, the Younger, was born ; 
and here Juliet, of Shakespeare, lived, etc., etc. 
About twenty miles from here brought us to 
the wonderful city of the sea. 

Yenice, once the great center of commerce, 
and wealth, and only second to Rome, is built on 
seventy-two islands, some three or four miles from 
land. Her streets generally are canals, which are 
crossed by more than 300 bridges. Gondolas 
(boats) almost without number, are seen thread- 
ing their way along these canals in every direc- 
tion. On leaving the cars, I stepped on board 
one of them, and was soon gliding along one 
of these silent and singular avenues. It was not 
long before I found myself near St. Mark's square 
at a hotel in comfortable quarters. It being late 
in the evening, I soon retired to wait for the 
morning. At length it came, and with it came 
a stillness that I never experienced before in 
any city. At first it very much surprised me, 
but I soon remembered that there was not a 
horse, or carriage, or wagon of any kind, in the 
entire city. Both public and private convey- 
ances are gondolas, some large, and others 
small, but all black and unlike any boats I had 
ever seen before. How strange to see the waters 
splashing on the steps of private and public 
buildings ! Fishing is quite a home affair in 
this place, as families can indulge in this aquatic 
amusement from their windows. It is truly a 



94 



Wonders of the East. 



wonderful city. As the trade of the east and 
west once poured their treasures at her feet, her 
merchants became princes in wealth. Stately 
edifices of artistic beauty rose on every side, 
until Venice was the fairest and gayest city of 
the east. Many of her present public buildings 
give unmistakable evidence of this fact. Among 
these may be reckoned the Church of St. Mark, 
a magnificent structure of Saracenic style, 
which was commenced in 977 and finished in 
1111. The floor is of tasselated marble, (picto- 
rial,) and the whole interior adorned with 
objects of art and beauty. Near it stands the 
clock tower with the Lion of the Virgin ; while 
a short distance from this stands the Campanile 
(Bell-tower) dating back to 902. From its top 
1 had a fine view of the entire city. Close to 
the church stands the Doge's Palace, said to be 
one of the most perfect Moorish buildings in 
Europe. As I wandered through its halls, I 
was amazed at the splendor that surrounded 
me ; but could not help thinking of the horri- 
ble tyranny that once reigned here. Just across 
the canal from the Palace stands the grim 
old prison, with which it is connected by the 
famous Bridge of Sighs, across which so many 
condemned men in past ages were hurried 
never to return. As I gazed upon these dismal 
cells and instruments of torture and death, my 
blood almost chilled within me, and I felt to 
thank God that that period had forever passed. 



Scenes in Italy. 



95 



Another place of interest is the Rialto (Bridge) 
that spans the Grand Canal. This, besides 
being a fine structure, is notable as being con- 
nected with Shakspeare's " Merchant of Venice" 
(Shylock) who is said to have had his office 
here. But I must bid adieu to Venice with all 
its strange and fairy scenes, but with impressions 
that shall last while memory holds her throne. 



Country View. — Florence. — Its Churches. — 
The Pitti Palace — Pisa — Leaning Tower — ■ 
Campo Santo — Pome — The Coliseum — Arch 
of Titus — Old Ruins. — Palace of Car a- 
cula. — Heathen Temples. — Palace of the 
Ccesars. — Golden House of JVero. — Pantheon. 

XpLORENCE.— From Venice to Florence, 



JL 1 our route lay across the Apennine 
Mountains. The road is one that every trav- 
eler will be likely to remember. From the 
fertile valley of the Po, where the weather was 
pleasant, we gradually gained an elevation 
where the snow was lying amid a mountain 
scenery of wildness and grandeur seldom 
equaled. At the highest point the snow was 



LETTER X. 



FROM VENICE TO ROME. 




9 6 



Wonders of the East. 



nearly a foot deep, while a cold bleak wind 
made the windows of the cars rattle. As we 
approached the western side of the mountain, 
and looked off on the valley below, one of the 
finest views broke upon my vision that I had 
ever seen. For miles around, villages and 
dwellings dotted the plain that lay far down 
below, all green with grass and leaves. As our 
descent was rapid, it was not long before we 
were in a different climate, where birds were 
singing, and flowers still blooming. 

We soon found ourselves in Florence, one of 
the finest cities in Europe. For five years past 
it has been the capital of Italy, but now ceases 
to be such as the seat of empire has just been 
transferred to Rome. The public grounds are 
very handsome, and statuary is seen on every 
side. Among the various objects of interest 
deserving particular notice, may be named the 
Cathedral, commenced in the fifteenth century 
and not yet completed. It is said to have the 
largest dome in the world, and has the peculiar- 
ity of being covered externally with various 
colored marble in panels (Mosaic). It is a 
magnificent structure of great architectural 
beauty. Kear by it is the Baptistry of the 
same style, with fine granite columns, and Mo- 
saic floor ; also a marble group of the " Deposi- 
tion of Christ," by Michael Angelo, which he 
left unfinished at his death. 

Close to this is the bell-tower of Gothic- 



Scenes in Italy. 



97 



Italian, near three hundred feet high, and is 
considered the finest structure of the kind in 
the world. From its top I had an interesting 
view of the entire city. 

I visited the Church of the Holy Cross, an 
elegant Gothic-Italian structure, especially the 
front. The interior is also magnificent. Splen- 
did columns, frescoed walls, and gorgeous side 
chapels, together with superb statuary, surround 
you on every side. But the most interesting 
objects here are the tombs of Dante and Mich- 
ael Angelo. These are truly beautiful in design, 
and rich in elaborate sculpture ; a sight not soon 
to be forgotten. 

The Church of the Annunciation is also mag- 
nificent in the extreme, as is also that of Medici ; 
they are richly adorned w r ith porphyry, jasper, 
and various kinds of variegated marbles, finely 
polished, and in many instances inlaid with 
beautiful designs in pearl. 

In the Pitti Palace, which is of great extent, 
and with many beauties of architecture, I saw 
the great Picture Gallery, which contains over 
five hundred fine paintings. I cannot describe 
it now other than to say it was marvelous in the 
extreme. 

Pisa. — From Florence we went to ancient 
Pisa. Its Cathedral is a fine Grecian structure, 
with highly ornamental ceiling, all glittering 
with gold. For a rarity this seems to be finish- 



98 Wonders of the East. 

ed; and unlike most of European cathedrals, it 
is surrounded with spacious grounds. Near it- 
stands the celebrated Leaning Tower. This 
beautiful marble structure, which was erected 
in the twelfth century, is round, and consists of 
eight rows of pillars, one above another, and is 
one hundred and sixty-eight feet high, with an 
inclination amounting to about fifteen feet from 
the perpendicular. As the uppermost stories 
are more vertical than the lower ones, I am sat- 
isfied it was originally built in this form. From 
the top a good view of the city is obtained. I 
ventured to its edge in the direction in which 
it leans, and looked down with a feeling of inse- 
curity that was not altogether pleasant. From 
the tower I visited the famous Campo Santo 
(Holy Field), one of the greatest wonders of art 
in all Italy. It consists of an old church-yard, 
surrounded with a covered colonaded space of 
considerable extent, which is filled with monu- 
ments erected to those buried here ; the earth 
having been brought here from Jerusalem in 
fifty-two vessels, for this purpose. The walls at 
the back of this colonade are beautifully painted 
in fresco by the most celebrated artists. What 
will not superstition do, blended with ignorance 
and a corrupt priesthood ! 

From here I proceeded directly to Rome. 
There is not another city in all Europe that has 
so important and varied a history as this. From 
the time it was founded by the Romulus in 



Scenes in Italy. 



99 



a. d. 753, down to the present time, it has held 
an important position. At one time it was 
the capital of the Pagan "World, then of the 
Christian. It has both enlightened and enslaved 
mankind. It was originally built on seven hills, 
and in the days of the Caesars, it contained 
one million two hundred thousand inhabitants ; 
and is said to have been twenty miles in circum- 
ference. Very great changes, however, have 
taken place within that period. The area now 
enclosed by walls, is only sixteen miles in cir- 
cumference. Besides a part of this enclosure is 
only covered with ruins. Once it had thirty- 
seven gates, now it has but sixteen. Only two 
of the seven hills upon which the^eity originally 
stood are now inhabited, the other five are cov- 
ered with extensive ruins. In fact, the present 
closely built part of the city does not exceed 
seven miles in circumference. 

Although so vastly inferior to what it once 
was, it is nevertheless full of interest, and that 
interest so varied, that the tourist scarcely knows 
which way to turn, or what first to select. I, 
however, was not long on deciding this matter. 
I wished to see, especially, what was left of old 
Home as she was in the days of the Csesars, 
when she sat mistress of the world. 

Coliseum. — Accordingly, the first place I 
visited was this wonderful structure of which I 
had so often read and thought. This is, un- 



IOO 



Wonders of the East. 



doubtedly, one of the grandest monuments of 
art and labor anywhere to be found, except the 
Pyramids. It was built away back in the first 
century, in honor of Titus, the conqueror of 
Jerusalem ; and tradition says that sixty thou- 
sand captive Jews toiled at its erection for ten 
years. In form it is oval (as most amphithea- 
ters were), one thousand six hundred and forty- 
one feet in circumference, with walls one hun- 
dred and fifty-seven feet high, divided into four 
stories. If three of our four-story houses were 
placed on top of each other, the roof of the top- 
most one would not be higher from the ground 
than is the top of the outer wall of this vast 
pile. There is a downward pitch of flooring 
from the top of the wall to near the center of 
the enclosure, supported by immense columns 
and arches, forming thereby capacious chambers 
and galleries, which are now partly in ruins. 
This gigantic structure covers six acres of ground, 
and originally seated, it is said, eighty-seven 
thousand spectators. But its glory has departed. 
Its ornamentations and decorations are gone. 
Some portion of the wall even has fallen. It is 
gradually crumbling beneath the hand of time. 
Tet enough of it remains to tell of its former 
grandeur, and of the taste, wealth, skill and 
enterprise of the inhabitants of the city eighteen 
hundred years ago. As I gazed upon this im- 
mense structure, while standing in its center, I 
could not help thinking what vast crowds have 



Scenes in Italy. 



IOI 



here assembled ; how often these walls have re- 
sounded with the wild shouts of thousands, as 
gladiators have struggled together in terrible 
conflict with each other, or triumphed over 
some fierce beasts of prey, or gone down be- 
neath the furious onset of the lion or tiger. I 
remembered that here, just where I am stand- 
ing, the illustrious Bishop of Antioch, the vene- 
rable Ignatius, who had seen and heard the 
Apostles, was torn to pieces by wild beasts, in 
the presence of a vast concourse of people. 
After being dragged from his church and led to 
Rome, and condemned to be cast to wild beasts, 
he wrote to his brethren as follows : " Let fire 
and the cross, let companies of wild beasts, let 
breaking of bones and tearing of members, let 
the shattering in pieces of the whole body, and 
all the wicked torments of the devil come upon 
me, only let me enjoy Jesus Christ. I would 
rather die for Jesus Christ, than rule the utmost 
ends of the earth." It is said he was led into 
the arena, where he stood in calm heroic dignity 
until the hungry lion was let loose from his 
cage, when the ferocious animal gave one gi- 
gantic spring upon him, and soon tore him in 
pieces. Two of his deacons who had accom- 
panied him to Rome, and stood by him to the 
last, gathered up his bones, and carefully buried 
them. Many others also suffered here for the 
name of Jesus. What horrid deeds of blood 
and slaughter have these old walls witnessed ! 



102 



Wonders of the East. 



But the scene is changed. The beasts, glaclia- 
tors, persecutors and spectators are all gone, 
forever gone, and nothing lett but these venera- 
ble old moss-covered walls to mark the awful 
spot. I visited it several times during my stay in 
this renowned city, but on each occasion, as I 
roamed about its six acres of walls, and arches, 
and corridors, I experienced a feeling of awe 
and solemnity that was well-nigh oppressing. 

A short distance from the Coliseum, still 
stands the venerable Arcb of Titus, erected by 
the Roman Senate, commemorating the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem. It not only stands as a 
monument of his bravery and the triumph of 
Eoman arms, but also of the fulfilment of the 
prediction of our Lord, in the twenty-fourth 
chapter of Matthew, respecting Jerusalem. It 
is ornamented with sculptured representations 
in bas-relief of the capture of the Holy City, 
and the return of Titus loaded with, the spoils 
of victory, and the sacred vessels of the Temple. 

A short distance in another direction, brings 
you to the Arch of the Emperor Constantine. 
And still farther on, stands the venerable Arch 
of Druses (on the Appian Way), said to be the 
oldest of them all. The inscriptions are, in 
most cases, so worn and defaced by age as to be 
ineligible. There are several others belonging 
to the same period, commemorating great 
events, but I can not dwell upon them. 

I rode out on the Appian Way some five 



Scenes i?i Italy. 



103 



miles, towards Albano, and was much surprised 
as well as interested with the extent and quanti- 
ty of old ruins. Nearly the whole of this dis- 
tance is strewn with fragments of broken 
columns, cornices, and various kinds of marble 
ornamentations. For miles around, you see 
standing up here and there, portions of massive 
walls or other evidences of large structures : 
great detached masses of cemented brick-work 
standing all alone, hundreds of years from any 
building or arch, or structure of any kind, look- 
ing as if they had been broken from some great 
temple- wall or huge structure, larger and greater 
than any now known, having the appearance, 
as they loom up from the plain, of enormous 
solid towers. I remembered, too, that along 
this Appian Way Paul passed, when he came 
a prisoner to Rome. Do you wonder that my 
very soul was stirred within me amid such as- 
sociations ? To think that here I was where 
this same Apostle lived two years a prisoner ; 
and where he wrote five of his epistles, and 
where he finally poured out his life's blood in 
testimony of the Gospel of Christ ! 

Among the wonders of Rome are the Baths 
of the Emperors. Their extent and magnifi- 
cence are truly astonishing. Those of Cara- 
calla, in connection with his palace, cover an 
area of a mile in circumference. I found, by 
pacing the main building, that it was three 
hundred and ninety feet wide, and eight hun- 



104 



Wonders of the East. 



dred and forty feet long. Two columns on the 
west side are some eighty feet in circumference, 
and perhaps one hundred feet high. The arch, 
they once supported has fallen. The most of 
the walls are still standing, and even some of 
the arches still remain. The floors are beautiful 
mosaic, of various designs, but which are now 
more or less covered with beautiful carvings of 
marble, broken and defaced statues, and fallen 
pillars. It is utterly impossible to give any- 
thing like an adequate idea of these old ruins 
by any written description in one letter, or the 
extent and magnificence of these semi-palaces. 
The great centre of interest, however, to the an- 
tiquarian, is the old Roman forum, with its won- 
derful associations and surroundings. Taking 
your position here, before you stands, in a good 
state of preservation, the venerable Arch of Sep- 
timius Serverus, covered with bas-reliefs, repre- 
senting great events in the early history of this 
people. Before you lie, in sad and solemn 
grandeur, the ruins of the ancient temples of 
Saturn and Romulus, some of the columns of 
which are still standing, like sentinels, keeping 
watch over the relics of these ancient piles. 
Xear by is the Temple of Testa, in a tolerable 
state of preservation ; also the Temple of Mi- 
nerva, the House of Concord, with its immense 
granite columns, the old Basilica of the Empe- 
ror Constantino, three arches of which are yet 
standing ; the Tarpeian Rock, the Arch of Titus, 



Scenes in Italy, 



the grand old Coliseum ; and last, though not 
least, near by is the Palace of the Caesars. 
These ruins speak most eloquently of the past 
glory of imperial Home. As I wandered among 
the old crumbling arches of this once magnifi- 
cent structure, and thought of the fact that here 
the great Julius Caesar, and Augustus, and Ti- 
berius, and Caligula, etc., held their throne, 
what vivid scenes of the past started up before 
my mind ! Heroes, orators, statesmen, philoso- 
phers, jurists, historians, warriors, kings, and 
emperors, of former ages, seemed to live again ; 
and I almost fancied that I heard the tramp 
and shout of victorious legions returning from 
foreign conquest and entering the Eternal City 
in triumph. 

The palace is a monstrous mass of ruins, 
stretching out in one direction toward the Coli- 
seum, and in another toward the capital, em- 
bracing an almost incredible area — the whole 
of which is encumbered with blocks of stone, 
fallen arches, broken columns, and fragments of 
beautiful carvings of marble. In front of the 
palace there is, in good state of preservation, a 
marble base or pedestal of one of the columns, 
seven feet square. It is covered on all sides 
with figures (twenty-three in number) in 'bas- 
relief. On the front side, the design is particu- 
larly beautiful. There are two angels holding 
the Roman shield, on which is inscribed the 
name of Caesar. 



jo6 



Wonders of the East. 



A short distance from this grand old ruin is 
another palace, called the Golden House of 
Isero. Here are seen extensive evidences of 
the opulence, grandeur, extravagance, and am- 
bition of that licentious and blood thirsty tyrant 
whose name stands associated with all that is 
base and vile. How strange it seems, to be 
treading those now desolate halls where this 
wicked wretch and murderer once lived ! I 
not only called to mind his execution of the 
great Apostle, but also the fact that, at the 
early age of seventeen, he poisoned his friend 
Britannicus, and soon after murdered his own 
mother. Having quarreled with his former in- 
structors, Seneca and Lucan, he barbarously 
murdered both. Having divorced his wife Oc- 
tavia, he banished her to an island, where he 
afterwards visited her and compelled her to put 
herself to death. He also murdered another 
one of his wives to get rid of her just reproofs. 
He wantonly set fire to Rome, by which the 
greater part of the city was reduced to ashes, 
while large numbers of the inhabitants perished 
in the flames. During a great part of this con- 
flagration he amused himself with music and 
dancing. "When he found that the people were 
furious at the loss of their possessions and the 
wide-spread ruin of their city, he falsely charged 
the crime of incendiarism upon Christians ; and 
then, in order to give some coloring, if possible, 
to this infamous accusation, he kindled the fires 



Scenes in Italy. 



107 



of persecution against them in the most horrid 
forms, too shocking for recital. Is it any wonder 
that this inhuman monster should die a violent 
death by his own hand ? 

The most perfect building of ancient Rome is 
the justly admired Pantheon or Rotunda, which 
was built by Agrippa. This beautiful temple, 
now used as a church, is circular in form, with 
a large portico in front, supported by a large 
number of massive pillars. From the circular 
walls rises the dome, one hundred and thirty- 
nine feet in diameter, and from which the plan 
of the dome of St. Peter's was taken, it being 
the same in size. In fact, on every side, in a 
more or less perfect state of preservation, we 
see memorials of Pome's former greatness when 
she sat mistress of the world. The most graphic 
description of these old ruins must necessarily 
fail to impress the mind of the reader with their 
variety and magnitude. They must be seen, to 
be comprehended. These monumental piles 
which excite our admiration while crumbling to 
the ground, throw a halo around her still. It 
seems to me that no one can gaze upon these 
moss-covered, tottering ruins that stand all 
around, like spectral phantoms of the misty 
past, without seeing in imagination, at least, the 
spirits of the mighty dead who planned and 
reared them. 



io8 Wonders of the East. 



LETTER XI. 

SIGHTS IN AND ABOUT ROME. 

St. Peter's.— The Vatican.— The Pope's Ex- 
travagance and Tyranny. — St. John's Late- 
ran. — Scala Santa. — Luther's Decision. — A 
Better Future. 

ST. PETER'S.— Having devoted my previous 
letter to a description of the ruins of an- 
cient Rome, I propose, in the present, to con- 
sider some of the leading objects of interest in 
modern Rome. Among these, none can claim 
greater prominence than St. Peter's. This won- 
derful structure is claimed (by Romanists) to 
cover the very spot where the Apostle Peter 
was buried. The first little chapel erected here, 
it is said, had more the appearance of a tomb 
than a church. This was at length removed, 
and, during the reign of Constantine, a more 
imposing structure was erected in its place. 
This was subsequently removed also ; and, on 
the spot, the present noble edifice was reared. 
In attempting to give the reader an idea of this 
colossal structure, I wish to say, at the start, 
that any description of the building, in one 
short letter, must necessarily be imperfect. I 
will, however, do the best I can under the cir- 
cumstances. As you approach this vast pile, 
you enter a spacious area of some acres, imme- 



Scenes in and about Rome. 109 

diately in its front, partly surrounded by the 
finest colonnade in the world, consisting of two 
hundred and eighty-four columns, each sixty 
feet high, and supporting a spacious gallery. 
The rear of this colonnade is filled with the 
church, while the front is open. In the centre 
of this colonnaded enclosure, stands an Egyp- 
tian obelisk or column, one hundred feet high, 
surmounted by a cross. Upon either side of 
this column is a beautiful fountain, ever play- 
ing. Such is the foreground, presenting a most 
magnificent entrance to the cathedral. As you 
approach the building, you ascend three succes- 
sive flights of steps, four hundred feet long, 
w T hich bring you up to the elevation upon which 
the structure stands. The first part you enter 
is the portico, into which five lofty portals open. 
The portico itself is fifty feet broad, four hun- 
dred feet long, seventy feet high, and is paved 
with variegated marble ; the arch, or canopy, is 
supported by massive columns, adorned with 
mosaic and gilt, and terminating at each end 
with an equestrian colossal statue — one of Con- 
stantine, the other of Charlemagne. 

The church itself, which is unsurpassed in 
point of magnitude and splendor by any other 
building of the kind in the world, was com- 
menced in 1450, and dedicated in 1626 ; so that 
it was in process of building one hundred and 
seventy-five years. It is built in the form of a 
Latin cross, seven hundred and seventy-two 



I 10 



Wonders of the East. 



feet long, five hundred feet wide at the tran 
septs, and the nave one hundred and fifty feet 
high. The pillars which support the dome are 
seventy feet in circumference. The dome is 
one hundred and ninety-three feet in exterior 
diameter, and rises to the height of four hun- 
dred and thirty-one feet ; and is pierced with 
sixteen windows, and surmounted by a gilt ball 
and cross. When I first entered the building, I 
was somewhat disappointed. It did not appear 
to me so gigantic as I had expected. But after 
a little it seemed to grow; and the longer I 
gazed, the more I wondered. The fact is, 
everything around you is on such a colossal 
scale that you fail, at first, to take in its immense 
size. I have visited it almost every day, for a 
week past ; and it appears, on each succeeding 
visit, to become more and more stately and im- 
posing. 

The interior is not only large, but exquisitely 
grand. The whole pavement, or floor, is of col- 
ored marble. The vault or arches overhead, are 
of stucco and mosaic, on a ground of gold. 
There are four large arches on each side of th.e 
naves, supported by large pilasters, covered with 
arabesque and niches. From each arch opens 
up the arcade of a chapel. In the centre, im- 
mediately under the great dome, stands the high 
altar, which is truly magnificent. At its cor- 
ners rise, from four ivory pedestals, four twisted 
pillars of Corinthian brass, fifty feet high, sup- 



Scenes in and about Rome. 1 1 1 

porting an entablature and a beautiful canopy, 
which readies the height of one hundred and 
thirty-two feet above the pavement. Beyond 
this, at the end of the choir, is the patriarchal 
chair, which is partly supported by a cloud of 
gold, and partly by four colossal statues of Doc- 
tors of the Greek and Latin churches. This 
chair is elevated seventy-five feet above the 
pavement. A cloud of gold surrounds it, from 
which golden rays of light radiate, among which 
are seen a number of golden angels. In fact, 
the whole interior is richly decorated with ex- 
quisite works of art. The most beautifully va- 
riegated marble columns, costly tombs, colossal 
statues, carved work in bronze and marble, 
splendid paintings of the old masters, and lavish 
gildings, are seen on every side. One hundred 
gilded lamps are burning continually before the 
high altar. And yet ; in this noble edifice that 
naturally impresses your mind with a feeling of 
awe and sublimity, what hollow performances 
are witnessed ! "What a mockery of all that is 
spiritual in the religion of Christ! Here, sit- 
ting in a chair, under a splendid canopy near 
the high altar, on a platform or pedestal about 
four feet high, is the celebrated bronze statue of 
Jupiter (a heathen god), which Pope Leo Chris- 
tianized as St. Peter. One foot of this idol is 
somewhat extended — the great toe of which has 
been completely worn away by the lips of the 
unnumbered thousands, from the Pope to the 



I 12 



Wonders of the East. 



meanest beggar, who esteem it an act of great 
merit to kiss this foot. I saw, myself, a large 
number perform (to them) this sacred rite. 

Adjoining St. Peter's, is the Vatican, said to 
be the most wonderful palace in the world. 
Here the Pope dwells amid splendor and luxury 
equal to the greatest of earthly potentates. This 
immense pile is one thousand one hundred and 
fifty feet long, and seven hundred and sixty- 
seven wide, and is said to contain four thousand 
four hundred and twenty-two fine apartments, 
besides twenty courts. These galleries of art 
extend for miles, where sculpture and paintings 
present the forms and scenes of by-gone ages. 
Here are some of the grandest productions of 
Raphael, that seem instinct with life and beauty ; 
such as the transfiguration which has been 
literally worshiped by tens of thousands. To 
my eye, however, there is nothing here more 
beautiful, as a work of art, than Constantine's 
vision of the cross in the sky. The crucifixion 
of St. Peter, by Guido, and the conversion of 
St. Jerome, by Dominichino, startle you with 
their life-like appearance ; but I must not at T 
tempt to particularize amid such a wilderness 
of paintings and sculpture by the great masters. 
I will only say. that the two days I spent among 
them, were days of pleasure and wonder. At 
the same time I could not help but think of the 
enormous taxes that have been imposed upon 
the people by the popes for the collection and 



Scenes in and about Rome. 1 1 3 

hoarding of all this wealth and splendor. No 
wonder the people are poor and oppressed. 
How small is the resemblance between the Pope 
and Christ, who had, in this respect, not where 
to lay his head. ! It is a notorious fact, that 
under the cruel and despotic rule of the popes, 
the spirit and manhood of the people have been 
literally crushed out of them, by a system of 
the most heartless oppression. The education 
of the people has been almost universally ne- 
glected, the morals of the city, according to 
official reports, are the worst of any city in Eu- 
rope. Is it any wonder that the inhabitants of 
this city, who know and understand the Pope 
best, should detest his despotic rule ? Is it any 
w 7 onder that on the twenty-fourth of November, 
1848, he was compelled to flee from Eome in 
the guise of a Bavarian peasant to Ferdinand 
of Naples, to escape the fury of his own church 
communicants and subjects, and where he felt 
compelled to remain for safety until a French 
army compelled his people to receive him back 
again, and also compelled them for twenty-two 
years to endure him and his hateful govern- 
ment? As soon as the pressure of French 
soldiers was removed, in consequence of the 
Franco-Prussian war, and the people were again 
free to express themselves in relation to the 
Pope's administration, they declared against 
him by ballot, a thousand to one. If Roman 
Catholics themselves thus denounce the tempo- 



t%4 



Wonders of the East. 



ral rule of the Pope as unwise, unjust, and too 
oppressive to be endured — if they regard him 
as tyrannical and despotic to a degree that for- 
bids longer forbearance, why should Protestants 
be blamed for opposing and exposing his false 
pretentions, and showing up his anti-republi- 
can and anti-Christian character ? 

The ecclesiastical establishments have all 
been richly endowed by the same system of 
taxation and extortion, that has been adopted in 
building and adorning with costly decorations 
Pome's three hundred and forty-six churches. 
The most of these are large structures, all of 
them expensive. There is one, however, after 
leaving St. Peter's, that deserves more than a 
passing notice, both because of its size, decora- 
tions, and its historical associations, namely : 

St. John's Lateral. — This church stands out 
some distance from the present city, among the 
ruins of ancient Rome. It was erected in the 
fourth century by the Emperor Constantine, 
who is said to have assisted with his own hands 
in laying the corner-stone. It is claimed to be 
the oldest church in Rome. I could not learn 
the size of it, but it is very large, and only 
second to St. Peter's. Its colonnaded front is 
magnificent, and the whole interior of chapels, 
monuments, statuary, and beautifully polished, 
variegated pillars, and carvings of marble, 
present a scene of rare richness and splendor. 



Scenes in and about Rome. 1 1 5 

Here the popes are crowned. . Here five gene- 
ral councils have been held. Here the celibacy 
of the clergy was decreed in 1123. Here, too, 
in 1179, was convened the Council by order of 
Pope Alexander, that decreed the extermina- 
tion of the poor Waldenses, which directly led 
to those untold horrors of persecution that were 
visited upon that dear people, for their Protes- 
tant principles. It is to be hoped, however, 
that it will never again be desecrated by such a 
wicked and diabolical decree. 

Close by this splendid edifice, but in a sepa- 
rate building of no very great pretensions in 
itself, is the Seal a Santa (Holy Stair-case) which 
is said to be the identical steps that our Saviour 
trod in passing into Pilate's judgment hall. 
Whether these be the identical steps that led 
to Pilate's hall, or not, I suppose we may claim 
the liberty to doubt; and yet, there is proof 
that Pilate's hall was taken down, and removed 
to Rome, and, as this staircase is something like 
what we might expect Pilate's to have been, it 
is at least possible that this may be the one. 
The steps (twenty-eight in number) are marble, 
and lead to a small gothic chapel at the top. 
Up these steps devout persons ascend upon 
their knees. In fact, no one is allowed to pass 
over them in any other way. The number that 
thus crawl up, has been so great that the steps 
are well nigh worn out, and are now covered 
with boards or planks for protection. I saw a 



Wonders of the East. 



number thus ascend, some of them kissing each 
step as they went up, not the marble, but the 
wood that covered them. It may do for Roman- 
ists to kiss through an inch and a half plank, 
but I should not like so much intervention 
between my lips and the object of my affection. 
There are two parallel stair-cases, one upon 
each side of Pilate's, up which those can go 
who do not choose to go up upon their knees. 
I suppose I need hardly say that I went up one 
of the side stair-cases. 

There was one circumstance, however, that 
made this staircase particularly interesting to 
me; and that was the fact, that, while Luther 
was descending these steps on his knees, 
his mind was so powerfully impressed with these 
words : " The just shall live hy faith " that he 
suddenly arose and walked down the steps. His 
eyes were now fairly opened. From that mo- 
ment he was a changed man. The whole rou- 
tine of relic worship was from that hour, by 
him, abandoned. The mighty spell that had 
long held his mind in vassalage to the senseless 
mummeries of a spacious formalism, was now 
forever broken ; and the great reformer from 
this time felt himself a free man, and began at 
once his glorious career of showing the antago- 
nism between Home and the Bible. 

But I must bid adieu to this interesting city. 
Did space permit I would love to write more at 
length of her magnificent edifices, her public 



Scenes in and about Rome, ny 

works, her classic history, her temples of art, 
her rare collection of antiquities, etc. And yet, 
after all, how unlike is Papal Rome to Imperial 
Rome — to what she was in the days of the 
Caesars, when she sat upon the seven hills, mis- 
tress of the world — when the Coliseum, her 
old palaces and temples, stood in all their virgin 
beauty ! But a brighter future already begins 
to dawn upon the eternal city. The tem- 
poral rule of the Pope, that has been so disas- 
trous to her prosperity, so oppressive, and de- . 
spotic, is at an end. On the 27th of the present 
month (November), Victor Emanuel assembled 
his Parliament at Rome, amid the most impos- 
ing demonstrations of joy and gladnesss that can 
be imagined. All except the priest, and some 
of the ecclesiastical orders, are nearly wild with 
joy. I never saw such demonstrations before. 
And no wonder. The people are now free — 
free to speak, free to act, free to believe, and 
free to worship God according to the dictates of 
their own consciences and the word of inspira- 
tion, instead of being compelled to bow to the 
behests of a corrupt and oppressive hierarchy. 
True, the Pope mutters, and threatens to leave, 
but I am told by men of intelligence that he 
does not mean it, but thus talks to create sym- 
pathy abroad and obtain money. Even if he 
should leave, it is thought the world will not 
end on that account. 



n8 Wonders of the East. 

LETTER XII. 

POMPEII AND HERCULANEUM. 

Mount Vesuvius. — Its Eruptions. — Pompeii. — 
Its Destruction. — Its Discovery. — Its Streets. 
Houses. — Shops. — Public Buildings. — Its 
Cemetery. 

MOUNT YESUYIUS.— On approaching 
Naples, the first thing that greets you, 
overshadowing every other object, is old Vesu- 
vius, towering up, in the form of a cone, 3,680 
feet high, with a flat surface at the top, from 
which a cloud of smoke is seen ascending. 
This is the crater. Within this immense and 
awful cauldron, from age to age, for thousands 
of years, the waves of melted, seething lava 
have been rising and falling, and rolling ; while 
sheets of fierce flame have every now and then 
leaped up toward the clouds, followed by explo- 
sions that have not only shaken the mountain, 
but all the surrounding country. At times its 
eruptions have been of the most fearful charac- 
ter, and awfully destructive. That of 1822 car- 
ried terror and alarm through all the towns and 
villages which lie around its base. The im- 
mense shower of ashes that was sent up at that 
time from its crater, extended more than a hun- 
dred miles around, and in the vicinity of the 
mountain darkened the sun at noon-day. The 



Pompeii and Herculaneum. 119 

eruption of 1794 was still more disastrous. The 
town of Torre del Greco, which contained some 
20,000 inhabitants, was utterly destroyed. Some 
fifteen other eruptions in the Christian era have 
occurred, more or less violent ; but the most 
terrific and awful was that of a. d. 79, which 
overwhelmed the cities of Pompeii and Hercu- 
laneum in utter destruction. 

Pompeii. — Pompeii is about twelve miles from 
Naples, on the south-east side of Vesuvius. At 
the time of its destruction it was a city of con- 
siderable importance, and was noted for its 
elegance, wealth, and beauty. It had been 
severely shaken by an earthquake sixteen years 
before, when many of its buildings were de- 
stroyed. But the mischief had been repaired. 
Its dwellings, theatres, and temples, had been 
rebuilt with greater elegance and sculptured 
beauty. By the time of its final calamity, its 
voluptuous inhabitants had, in all probability, 
dismissed from their minds the fears that the 
earthquake of a. d. 63 had excited. We know 
not the minute details of the every-day life 
within its walls ; but there can be no doubt that 
gayety, business, pleasure, and dissipation, 
employed the masses. The shops, the streets, 
and the bazaars were undoubtedly thronged 
with busy multitudes hastening to and fro as 
Hiiual. In all probability the theaters and 
places of public amusements were filled with 



120 



Wonders of the East. 



the gay and pleasure-seeking crowds, as they 
had often been before. The temples undoubt- 
edly had their devotees ; but even there they 
were taught dissipation, and their walls often 
resounded with bacchanalian songs, that min- 
gled harmoniously with the shouts of triumph 
over gladiatorial combats. Such, we have 
reason to believe, was the every-day life wit- 
nessed in this heathen city 1800 years ago. 
And, in the midst of scenes like these, it was 
that Vesuvius was gathering up her forces for 
the final charge. The historian tells us that on 
the 24th of August, ominous indications of an 
eruption were manifest. Unearthly sounds were 
heard, like the distant mutterings of strange 
thunders. The earth shook, and chasms opened 
here and there, emitting sulphureous gases. The 
sea rose and fell, retreating to a great distance 
from the shore, and then returning with foam- 
ing fury. In the midst of these unmistakable 
evidences of the pent-up internal forces that 
were struggling for an outburst, a strange black 
column of smoke, some quarter of a mile in 
diameter, was seen rising from the crater of 
Vesuvius. It looked magnificently grand, and 
perhaps, at first, no one thought it foreboded 
mischief. But it soon commenced spreading at 
the top, like a tree, until it became beautifully 
grand, and, perhaps, still unfeared. But as it 
continued to spread farther and farther, the 
spectacle would soon lose all its charm. The 



Pompeii and Hermlaneum. 12 1 



whole heavens were at length covered with 
blackness. The day was strangely turned into 
night — a black and starless night. In the mean- 
time, while the bewildered inhabitants were 
filled with dismay and consternation, the ashes, 
and cinders, and fragments of stone began to 
descend with fearful rapidity upon their devoted 
city. The terrible scene of anguish, horror, 
and despair that ensued, no pen has recorded, 
nor ever will. We only know that all who did 
not speedily escape from the city and its neigh- 
borhood, miserably perished. The daily hum 
of city life ceased, and death reigned in every 
street, until the city became one vast tomb of 
its people. All that was true of Pompeii was 
also true of Herculaneum, which w 7 as destroyed 
at the same time. They were blotted out as 
though they had not been, and as ages passed, 
their locations became forgotten. 

In 1748 the ruins of Pompeii were accident- 
ally discovered. Since that, extensive excava- 
tions have been carried forward, until more 
than forty acres of the city have been untombed 
and cleared of the rubbish, so that a great por- 
tion of a city rises up before us, precisely, in all 
its essential features, as it stood 1800 years ago, 
not a single building, more or less, not a solitary 
innovation in style or furniture. 

The very next day after my arrival at Naples 
I started for Pompeii. No single place in all 
Europe had I so much desired to see as this. As 



122 Wonders of the East. 



I passed through one of its portals and stood 
within its walls and looked up one of its deso- 
late streets, walked upon its old pavements, 
looked into its private dwellings, its shops, 
stores, and public buildings — all tenantless and 
empty now — a strange feeling eame over me as 
I gazed and thought of the past, that I shall 
never forget. I did not wish to speak ; it seemed 
to me to be a place where silence was most 
befitting. As you pass along the streets there 
is something to interest you at every step. The 
roofs of the houses, having been built of wood, 
have been destroyed. With this exception, the 
buildings are generally standing. The stone 
fronts, marble counters, and columns, are but 
little injured. The doors, windows, and shut- 
ters, however, are nearly all destroyed. The 
general appearance of the deserted streets is 
gloomy in the extreme. You see, at a glance, 
the style of their buildings. The decorations 
of their houses were principally within, while 
the side next to the street,"unlike our houses, 
was very plain. The street windows are small, 
and were protected by wooden shutters. The 
inner walls, instead of being plain, are almost 
invariably painted in fresco. In the better class 
of houses, strong bright colors abound, and it is 
astonishing how remarkably they have retained 
their brilliancy for so long a period. A few of 
the paintings were in frames and hung upon the 
walls,, but, as a rule, they were painted on the 



Pompeii and Herculanenm. 123 

wall itself. Here are seen landscapes, portraits 
in abundance, various kinds of birds, and ani- 
mals, vines, flowers, etc. In passing up the 
street, we came to the dwelling of Sallust. 
This has been a very fine structure in its day. 
Its courts, its pavements, its frescoed walls, its 
rich pilasters, and carved images, give unmis- 
takable evidences of a refined taste, and large 
wealth upon the part of its original proprietor. 
The house of Panza is also spacious and elegant. 
The doorway is ornamented with beautiful 
Corinthian pilasters. The interior also exhibits 
taste and skill in mosaics and paintings. One 
of the most noted dwellings pointed out is the 
house of the tragic poet, as it is called ; why it 
is so designated I could not ascertain. Its walls 
are entirely covered with historical paintings, 
illustrating the customs, manners, and the 
heathen mythology of former ages. In one 
picture is seen the great chariot race between 
the gods ; in another, Jupiter is marrying the 
unwilling Thetis to a mortal ; in another, the 
priests of Diana are engaged in preparing for a 
human sacrifice ; in another is a representation 
of the battle of the Amazons, etc., etc. ; while 
the floors are beautiful mosaic. I might thus 
continue in describing house after house, giving 
the name of the owner in most cases, did space 
permit, for they are numerous with their owners' 
name, either over the doorway, or inscribed in 
mosaic on the floor at the entrance. I would, 



124 



Wonders of the East. 



however, say that the better class of houses 
were generally arranged as follows : — the por- 
ter's lodge was just inside the street door, which 
opened into an open court, in the center of 
which is always found a shallow marble cistern 
for water. This court is surrounded with a 
number of small rooms, apparently for the ac- 
commodation of callers, besides a large recep- 
tion room, perhaps for callers of note. Further 
on, or back from the street, you come to another 
court, surrounded in most cases with a beautiful 
colon ade, around which is a suite of rooms for 
more private purposes ; such as a dining-room, 
sitting-room, library-room, toilet-room, and a 
bed-room. In this inner court-yard, which is 
frequently covered with mosaic, is a marble 
fountain, and generally more or less statuary. 
Some of these dwellings were very large. The 
house of the Questor, as it is called, is one hun- 
dred and fifty feet front, and one hundred deep. 
The bedrooms in the upper part of the houses 
are small, and in the place of bedsteads the floor 
is raised to the proper height, and on this 
raised portion the bed or mattress was laid. 
In many instances there is an additional eleva- 
tion at the head so as to do away with the 
necessity of a bolster. 

The shops, also, that are found lining some of 
the streets, are of a very interesting character. 
In most cases, you readily perceive the kind of 
wares that were kept, or the trade that was 



Pompeii and Herculaneum. 125 



carried on in them. The signs, paintings, in- 
scriptions, and statues, illustrative of the arti~ 
cles manufactured, or sold, or used, enables you 
to point out the shops of the baker, tailor, 
apothecary, the fish shop, the fruit shop, the 
wine shop, etc. The latter seem to have par- 
ticularly abounded. I should judge there were 
two of these to one of any other kind. In the 
baker shops are the mills, still standing, in 
which the grain was ground. I should think 
that each set of stone would weigh near half a 
ton. They are much larger than I had an- 
ticipated. 

The streets are generally narrow — perhaps 
about eight feet wide ; but in this respect they 
are very much like the streets of Naples, or any 
other old Italian city. The two principal streets, 
however (that have been opened up, as yet), 
and which cross each other at right angles, are 
about fourteen feet wide. The paving-stones 
are unusually large, with flat surfaces. As 
the sewerage of the city was probably very 
imperfect, the water, in time of rains, ran down 
the middle of the streets ; hence, at the cross- 
ings, there are usually hewn stones firmly placed 
at proper intervals across the street, standing 
up above the pavement from six to eight inches, 
upon which they stepped in crossing. It is be- 
tween these stepping-stones more especially, that 
you see ruts of chariot wheels in the stone pave- 
ment, worn, in some instances, four inches deep. 



126 



Wonders of tfie East. 



But perhaps the most interesting part of Pom- 
peii is its public edifices, which are surprisingly 
large and numerous considering the probable 
size of the city. Among these, stands foremost 
the amphitheatre, a stone building four hundred 
and thirty feet long, and three hundred and 
thirty-five feet wide, of an oval form, and used 
for gladiatorial purposes, and capable of ac- 
commodating about eight thousand people. Be- 
neath, the building are vaults, in which, un- 
doubtedly, the men and beasts were kept until 
the day of exhibition, when they met before 
the assembled multitudes in deadly combat. I 
was told by my guide (a government official), 
that in the arena a human skeleton was found, 
supposed to have been that of a gladiator. I 
thought, as I stood within this enclosure, how 
often these seats had been thronged, and how 
often these walls had resounded with the shouts 
of vast multitudes, as they witnessed the tri- 
umphs of favorites, all covered with ghastly 
wounds and blood ! How often had the eyes of 
assembled thousands gloated over scenes of 
blood and slaughter, as unfortunate gladiators 
met ravenous beasts in the horrid conflict, where 
only death on one side or the other could end 
the strife ! But the bloody scene is over ; the 
play is ended ; the curtain has fallen ; the last 
great tragedy has been performed; and gladia- 
tors, beasts, and spectators are all gone, forever 
gone ! 



Pompeii and Herculaneum. 127 



The Forum is also a building of special in- 
terest. I could not learn its exact size ; but by- 
pacing it, I found it to be four hundred and 
ninety-two feet long, and one hundred and 
eleven feet wide. Its fine fluted Corinthian 
columns, which extended all around it, and 
which are still, in most cases, standing, give 
unmistakable evidence of its original beauty. 

The Temple of Isis has also been a magnifi- 
cent structure. It is eighty-four feet long, and 
seventy-five feet wide, and is adorned with 
Doric columns, which once formed and sup- 
ported the portico. Everything remains very 
much as it was at the time of the eruption. 
Here stands the altar on which human sacrifices 
were burnt, and the oratory in which the vic- 
tims' bones and ashes were put. Here, too, was 
found the idol or statue of divinity, though un- 
fortunately broken. Even the private staircases 
and secret tabernacle, together with the sacred 
vessels and the vestures of the priests, have all 
been found and identified. 

I would like to speak of the Pantheon, also of 
the Temple of Yenus, the Temple of Mercury, 
the Temple of Aquilla, and the Temple of Jus- 
tice, but space will not permit. A dozen let- 
ters would not suffice to give even an outline of 
the numerous objects of interest that crowd on 
every side within the walls of this wonderful 
city, which, every month, is becoming more and 
more interesting, as the excavations are pro- 



128 



Wonders of the East. 



gressing, and thereby enlarging the field of ob- 
servation and multiplying its wonders. 

One of the most interesting scenes connected 
with these excavations is outside of the walls. 
There has been uncovered, in part, the burying- 
ground of the city, in which were deposited the 
remains of the dead. There has been opened 
up an avenue of considerable extent, along 
which, on either side, are crowded stately tombs 
and monuments, reared by surviving friends. 
Many of these marble memorials are rich in 
carvings and sculptured designs, and would 
compare favorably with the tombs and monu- 
ments of more modem cemeteries. Appropriate 
inscriptions, generally legible, tell the names of 
their occupants. An inscription on one large 
tomb of beautifully sculptured decorations, tells 
you that within reposes the dust of the priests 
of Pompeii, 



Pompeii and Herculaneum. 129 



LETTER XIII. 

pompeii and HERCULASTETTM. — Continued. 

Pompeii. — Its Museum and Skeletons. — Dio- 
mede J s Mansion and Family. — Places and 
Positions in which Skeletons were Found. — 
Reflections . — Herculaneum. — A Theatre. — 
House of Argus. — The Library. 

POMPEII.— In my previous letter, I en- 
deavored to give you some idea of the 
extent and general appearance of that portion 
of the city which has thus far been exhumed, 
together with the general style of the buildings. 
In the present letter, I wish to call attention to 
some additional particulars that have made a 
deep impression on my own mind, and which, I 
fancy, will interest others. In my visit to this 
ill-fated city, there was one thought that bur- 
dened my soul, and of which I could not free 
myself; namely, the untold anguish and horror 
that must have seized the inhabitants as they 
saw the terrible evidences multiplying around 
them of their approaching doom. In a mu- 
seum on the ground, I saw several forms, of 
both sexes, that had been taken out from differ- 
ent localities. These forms were remarkably 
well preserved. One of the females had a beau- 
tiful set of natural, pearly teeth ; and on one of 
her shriveled fingers was a valuable ring. She 



13° 



Wonders of the East. 



had evidently belonged to the upper class ; but 
what cared Vesuvius for wealth, or beauty, or 
tears, or rank ! All classes, on that fearful night, 
were mingled together in one indescribable 
scene of ruin. 

As you enter the gateway into the city, you 
see the place where the sentinel remained and 
perished at his post. The niche in which he 
stood is some six feet square, arched over at the 
top, and open in front. When his skeleton was 
uncovered, it was found partly crouched against 
the side wall, his bony fingers still grasping his 
spear. Here he had evidently stood, amid the 
terrors of that awful night, until the ashes had 
accumulated about him sufficient to prevent his 
falling when life became extinct. ISTear by the 
gate. I was shown the spot where the remains of 
a female and three children were found, and in 
such a position as showed how earnestly she had 
sought to save them ; but all to no purpose. 
Near the gate is also the splendid mansion of 
Diomede, that presents unmistakable evidences 
that its possessor was a man of taste and wealth. 
But the storm of fire made no distinction be- 
tween the lordly mansion and the humble cot- 
tage. In the wine-cellar of this extensive build- 
ing, seventeen human skeletons were found, all 
huddled together — the mistress, her children, 
and her female servants or slaves ; the former 
distinguished from the latter by the jewelry 
that still adorned their necks and fingers. The 



Pompeii and Herciilaneum. 131 

remains of Diomede, however, were not found 
with his family, but in his garden, a short dis- 
tance from his dwelling. A bunch of keys was 
in his hand, and by his side was another skele- 
ton, supposed to be his slave, with silver vases 
and a sum of money. It would be interesting 
to know the thoughts and feelings of that family 
on that fearful night. Why did he leave his 
wife and children % Had he concluded that to 
stay in the house was death, and therefore that 
he must escape % and was it impossible for his 
wife and daughters to leave, on account of the 
storm of ashes and fire without ? Did he take 
his leave of them, knowing it would be the 
last time ? These, and many other similar ques- 
tions, will never be answered. One thing is 
quite certain; namely, that he made an effort 
to escape, but he had delayed the matter too 
long, and in all probability perished sooner than 
his family. They having betaken themselves to 
the subterranean vaults of the house, where 
the storm of ashes could not reach them, per- 
haps survived until their death resulted from 
starvation. 

Near the door of one of the temples, I was 
shown where they found a skeleton, supposed 
to have been one of its priests. The position in 
which this body was found, was such as to show 
that he had struggled hard to escape the ter- 
rible death that awaited him. His bony hand 
still grasped a hatchet, with which he had tried 



132 



Wonders of the East. 



to effect his escape from the temple, which was 
now turned into a prison. The massive doors, 
which opened outwardly, being rendered im- 
movable by the great mass of ashes that pressed 
against them, he had attempted to cut his way 
out through the wall. He had evidently worked 
hard, and perhaps long — how long, we do not 
know. At all events, he had, at one point, well- 
nigh succeeded in piercing through. But the 
wall was too massive to readily yield to such an 
instrument; and the poor fellow had been com- 
pelled to give up the struggle. 

Temples, prisons, mansions, and hovels, were 
all alike defenceless before the fiery fiend that 
swept over Pompeii on that terrible night. No 
asylum was respected. The fell destroyer en- 
tered every street, every house, and every room 
in quest of victims, regardless of wealth, beauty, 
station, or smiling innocence, leaving his foot- 
prints of death and desolation everywhere 
throughout the length and breadth of the entire 
city. Many undoubtedly fled in time to escape 
w T ith their lives. Many more, in all probability, 
left their homes, but were overtaken on the 
plains beyond the city walls, where, over- 
come by fatigue, or bewildered and lost amid 
the impenetrable darkness, they were buried 
beneath the awful descent of ashes and cinders, 
in spite of all their efforts. Within the area 
uncovered, the skeletons of two thousand per- 
sons have already been found — some in one 



Pompeii and Herculaneum. 133 



place, and some in another ; some in their 
houses, some in cellars, some in the streets, 
some in temples, etc. 

Heroulanettm, as already stated, was de- 
stroyed at the same time. We know far less 
about this city than we do about Pompeii. 
This is principally owing to the fact that, being 
nearer to Vesuvius, it was overwhelmed by lava 
as well as by ashes; and, consequently, excava- 
tions are carried on at Herculaneum with a 
much greater amount of labor and expense. 
Not only is there a larger amount of lava, but 
the city is buried to a much greater depth than 
was Pompeii. Another difficulty in the way of 
extensive excavations at Herculaneum is, the 
fact that a modern town is built immediately 
over it, in consequence of which private claims 
stand in the way of public enterprise. Not- 
withstanding all this, the city, or rather a small 
portion of it, has been uncovered at two points, 
some few hundred yards apart. The first we 
entered, if I mistake not, was the first that was 
opened. With lighted torches in our hands, the 
guide and myself descended a long flight of stone 
steps, which landed us at the top of the amphi- 
theatre of old Herculaneum. This I found to 
be an immense structure, semi-circular in shape, 
with stone seats, commencing at the top of the 
outer wall, and each row or tier gradually de- 
scending until the lowest and inner circle sweeps 



134 



Wonders of the East. 



partly around the arena, at a small elevation. 
This building is capable of seating ten thousand 
persons ; consequently it is somewhat larger 
than the one at Pompeii. A shaft has been 
opened from the surface of the ground above, to 
the bottom of the amphitheatre, which, I should 
judge, is a distance of about sixty feet — the 
depth to which the city has been buried. All 
around this structure, in every direction, there 
seems to be but little else than the hard lava. 
Consequently, there has been but little more 
done in the form of excavations, at this point, 
than was necessary to properly uncover and 
bring out clearly this noble structure. The 
walls and mason- work generally were of brick, 
covered with marble. All the front of the 
stage was covered with this material. I was 
even shown the dressing-room of the actors. 
One of the interesting items of the place that 
was shown me, was the mask formerly worn by 
the clown. But the clown, the actors, the spec- 
tators, are all gone ; and for eighteen hundred 
years the silence of the grave has reigned within 
this vast enclosure. The great drama of a ter- 
rible visitation, that looks like the enkindling 
and burning of the wrath and indignation of 
the Almighty against a wicked and idolatrous 
city, has been acted, ending in a most awful 
tragedy. On the outside of the building, lean- 
ing up against the wall, was found a skeleton. 
Where it stood, pressed against the stonework, 



Pompeii and Herculanenm. 135 

the stain of blood lias left the human form quite 
visible. 

After seeing all there is to see at this point, 
we came up and went to the other opening, 
which lies at the opposite side of the city from 
Vesuvius. Here, there is nothing like the 
amount of lava there is at the theatre. There 
is, I should judge, at this point, more than an 
acre of the city that has been uncovered. There 
are two streets that cross each other at right 
angles, that have been opened up for some little 
distance — especially one of them. There is the 
same general appearance here as at Pompeii. 
The streets and houses are much the same. 
There are two dwellings on one of these streets 
that are very fine indeed, and present abundant 
evidence that their owners were persons of opu- 
lence. One of these has inscribed on it the 
name of u Januas " as its proprietor. It is quite 
extensive, with frescoed walls and mosaic pave- 
ments of courts and rooms. The other is larger 
and finer still. Over the doorway is inscribed 
on marble the name of its owner : " Argus, Pro- 
consul." The inner court of this establishment 
is much larger than any I had seen before, and 
is surrounded with a beautiful colonnade, con- 
sisting of twenty-six fluted Corinthian marble 
columns. The floors are mosaic, and the walls 
frescoed. The court and grounds were adorned 
with some very fine marble and bronze statuary. 
In one of the rooms of this building was found 



Wonders of the East. 



the rolls of Papyrus, written in Latin and 
Greek, that constitute the Herculaneum library, 
which is decidedly the most valuable thing yet 
found among the ruins of these two cities. These 
rolls are now in the museum at Naples. How 
many there were of them originally, I do not 
know. Many of them were destroyed in the 
vain efforts of different persons to unroll them ; 
as, in consequence of being charred by the 
heat, they were torn by the slightest touch. A 
method, however, has been discovered, by which 
they can be unrolled and preserved, in conse- 
quence of which we may yet have an interest- 
ing history of that city. I counted, in the mu- 
seum, over four hundred rolls that have not yet 
been disturbed. What they contain, of course 
no mortal knows. But, in all probability, in 
due time the whole will be revealed, and this 
library of Argo will be printed, and help to 
enrich the public libraries of the world. 



Naples 



137 



LETTER XIV. 

NAPLES. 

Naples. — Its Churches --Its wonderful Museum. 
— Its large Collections from Pompeii and 
Herculaneum. — Astounding Revelations of 
the Morals of their former Inhabitants. — 
Puteoli. 

THIS is the largest city in Italy, and con- 
tains nearly half a million of inhabitants. 
Its surroundings are grand, perhaps unsurpassed 
in beauty of natural scenery, by any city in the 
world. Situated upon one of the finest bays of 
the same name, with the isles of Ischia and 
Capri, and others, in full view, with old Yersu- 
vius in the background, it challenges admiration. 
The city itself, as you approach it from the har- 
bor, has a beautiful appearance. But on enter- 
ing its streets, the vision is changed. You find 
them narrow, crooked and filthy. The houses 
being very high, make the streets dark and 
cheerless. This gloom is increased by the 
sparseness of windows on the side of the houses 
facing the streets. But this is not the worst 
feature of the city. There seems to be, judging 
from appearances, an almost incredible amount 
of wretchedness and poverty. Beggars swarm 
the streets wherever you go. As a rule the 



138 



Wonders of the East. 



lower classes are filthy in appearance, and al- 
most naked. There seems to be more wretched- 
ness here than even at Rome. 

The churches of Naples are, externally, rather 
common-looking edifices ; many of them ap- 
parently needing repairs ; but internally, as a 
rule, they are quite equal to those of Rome. 
The Church of Santa Chiara, founded by Charles 
of Arragon, is particularly handsome. Here 
is a wonderful display and combination of 
marble, silver, and gold, in artistic forms of rare 
beauty. Besides, it is very spacious and capa- 
ble, it is said, of holding ten thousand persons. 
Here are costly tombs in which repose the dust 
of several of the princes of Arragon. 

I visited also the Church of San Domenico, 
which is thought by some to be the finest church 
in Naples. It is very large and rich in sculp- 
ture and paintings, besides a large amount of 
other costly decorations. Yet it did not come 
up to my expectations ; nor do I think it equals 
the Church of Santa Severa in beauty and 
splendor. This latter church is very old, having 
been originally a heathen temple, and dedicated 
to Diana of the Ephesians. True, it is not near 
so large as San Domenico, and consequently 
not so costly, yet it is a perfect gem. Among 
the large amount of statuary that it contains, 
there are three that claim particular attention, 
as marvels in the art of sculpture. One of 
these is a superb marble statue of Virtue, with 



Naples. 



139 



a thin gauze-like drapery over her, worked in 
marble, that easily deceives you. It looks like 
fine flexible texture of lace work, that you can 
lift from her form, rather than a part of the 
marble that forms the statue. On the opposite 
side of the church from this, is another marble 
statue representing Yice, which is enveloped in 
a net- work of rope, out of which he is endea- 
voring to escape. An angel is graciously as- 
sisting him in his pious exertion. The artistic 
skill displayed in this, is also most surprising. 
The net-work seems so distinct from the body, 
that it has the appearance of having been put 
on, rather than worked out of the same block 
of marble with the statue. The other is in a 
circular room below the main floor, and is a life- 
size marble statue of Christ, representing Him 
in death after the crucifixion. He lies on a bed 
(of marble) in which you see apparently the 
linen texture of the bed clothes. There the 
form of our Saviour lies with death depicted in 
His countenance and every feature. Over His 
form there is worked a delicate texture of thin 
gauze-like material, that seems to be quite dis- 
tinct and separate from the body, and which 
has the appearance of having been spread over 
Him, and yet so fine and delicate as to enable 
you to see apparently through it, not only the 
outlines of the form, but every feature distinctly. 
Beside the body lie the hammer, spikes, and 
thorns, all carved from the same block of marble, 



140 



Wonders of the East. 



There are many other statues here, all of which 
are very fine. There is one other that I will 
barely name. It is a representation of Christ 
giving sight to the blind. This latter scene is 
carved out of one block of marble, and is fifteen 
feet high, and eight wide. 

The Cathedra], which was once a pagan tem- 
ple, is internally very georgeous. Here is the 
celebrated Chapel of St. Januarius, a small 
room separated from the nave by a beautiful 
brass gate, which is said to have cost thirty- two 
thousand ducats ($30,000). The high altar is 
of gold and precious stones, etc. Here is a 
statue of St. Januarius, behind which is an 
oratory where a golden bust of the saint and a 
bottle of his blood are kept for exhibition. Here 
you are seriously told that when he was put to 
death, a woman caught his blood, a part of 
which was taken to Spain, and the remainder 
of it was brought to Xaples, and carefully bot- 
tled up, and which is kept here on exhibition. 
Tou are also told that this blood liquifies twice 
a year, and that a great many miracles have 
been performed through these relics. While 
their pretended miracles are not only palpable 
lies, but so grossly absurd as to be disgusting to 
every educated Protestant ; and their tricks and 
artifices so shallow and absurd as to surprise 
any Protestant, that even the uneducated 
masses can be deceived by them ; yet it must 
be admitted that their sculpture, architecture 



Naples. 



141 



and paintings, command respect and admiration. 
Another object of special interest in this city, 
is the museum, which is justly regarded as one 
of the finest collections in the world. The 
picture gallery is also quite extensive, with 
many fine paintings from the old masters. The 
Farnese collection of paintings from Rome, con- 
tains many objects of rare merit and beauty. 
But that which makes this museum so exceed- 
ingly interesting to every traveler, is its vast 
collection from the ruins of Pompeii and Hercu- 
laneum, which is already very extensive indeed, 
and is constantly enlarging, as the excavations 
are pushed forward in uncovering these cities. 

Among the paintings that have been trans- 
ferred to this building from these ruins, besides 
a large number of portraits, is a great variety 
of animals, birds, fishes and reptiles, such as 
horses, cattle, lions, leopards, deer, goats, rabbits, 
etc., dunghill fowls, peacocks, turkeys, eagles, 
hawks, parrots, quails, doves, etc., with quite 
a variety in fruits, such as pears, oranges, figs, 
grapes, etc. 

In another department you see in great abun- 
dance their household furniture and utensils. 
Here shelf after shelf is filled with pots, kettles, 
jars, pans, skillets, lamps almost without num- 
ber, fluted glass tumblers, cups, on one of which 
is inscribed in Latin, " Drink, my friends." 
Here are also their scales, weights, steel yards, 
measures, shovels, tongs, axes, carpenters' com- 



142 



Wonders of the East. 



passes, squares, pincers, fish-hooks, combs, ink- 
stands, pens, knives (no forks), spoons, flutes, 
needles, thread, cloth, ropes, etc. A large 
amount of glassware has recently been found in 
Pompeii. Among this variety is a superb urn of 
most exquisite workmanship. The ground- work 
is blue, adorned with raised human figures, vines 
and flowers, of white glass, resembling cameo. 
This was found encased in an earthen pot, or 
urn, and was found on examination, from an 
inscription on it, to contain the ashes of a lady 
of distinction. 

In another department you see the various 
kinds of armor used by the Pompeian warriors, 
both offensive and defensive. In its examina- 
tion I was forcibly reminded of the description 
of the armor of the ancients by Paul, in Eph. 
vi. 13-17. If the Apostle had stood with this 
collection before him, his description could not 
have agreed with it better than it now r does. 

In another department is a large amount of 
bronze statuary of great merit. The collection 
is from Pompeii and Herculaneum, but mostly 
from the former. I counted in this department 
over four hundred statues, some of them colos- 
sal, some life-size, and others small. There is 
also a large amount of marble statuary from 
the same cities. Many of them interested me 
exceedingly, as they are undoubtedly good like- 
nesses of the persons whose names they bear. 
That of the great Scipio Africanus, represents 



Naples. 



143 



him with thin lips, large aquiline nose, and a 
bald head. Here is also the great philosopher 
Seneca, with glass eyes ; also the busts of So- 
crates, Demosthenes, Plato, and an equestrain 
statue of Nero, two busts of Euripides from 
Pompeii, and also two from Rome of the same 
person ; and they all look enough alike to have 
been sculptured by one man. In the depart- 
ment of sculpture from Pompeii is one that 
looks particularly domestic ; it is the representa- 
tion of killing and cleaning a hog. There is a 
large kettle of water, under which is a fire, and 
on the edge of which lies a hog partly in the 
kettle of water, and partly hanging over its 
side. There are two men engaged in the work ; 
one is in the act of putting wood under the 
kettle, the other is scraping the hair off of the 
animal, which process is about half completed. 
All this is carved out of one block of marble. 

In another saloon is arranged in appropriate 
cases, the jewelry that has been found on the 
persons or skeletons that have been taken from 
the ruins of the two cities. These consist of 
finger rings, ear rings, and pendants, bracelets, 
necklaces, amulets, or charms, etc. These are 
mostly of gold, with various devices upon them 
by way of ornamentation, and to a large extent 
set with precious stones. There is also in this 
room a case containing bread, cakes, honey, 
various kinds of nuts, common bird seed, barley, 
etc., that were found at Pompeii. 



J44 



Wonders of the East. 



In looking over their sculpture, paintings, 
household furniture (which is generally highly 
ornamented), their jewelry, amulets, etc., one 
is not only forcibly reminded that they were 
heathens, but also of the great contrast between 
them and Christian nations ; showing very con- 
clusively what the Christian religion has done 
for our w r orld. One of the buildings in Pompeii 
in view of its obscene fresco painting, etc., has 
been justly closed against all females and minors. 
And here in this museum, a room has been ap- 
propriated to receive such sculpture, paintings, 
lamps, jewelry, household furniture, etc., that 
are not fit for public exhibition. From this 
room women and minors are likewise excluded, 
and I think men should be also. Here is jewelry 
that no lady would now have about her 
person, to say nothing about wearing it pub- 
licly as did the women of Pompeii. I have 
thought whether or not, in view of their wicked- 
ness, their utter disregard to all the decencies 
and proprieties of life ; their drunkenness (for 
there is abundant evidence that they were great 
wine drinkers) ; their undisguised licentiousness 
and carnality, etc., whether their cup of iniquity 
was not full; and accordingly whether their 
terrible destruction was not appointed by the 
Almighty as a judgment upon them for their 
transgressions. Yet after all, perhaps, they 
were not more wicked than were other heathens 
around them. We, at this distant day, can 



Naples. 145 

scarcely realize the terrible condition of society 
two thousand years ago. 

Puteoli. — In visiting the ancient town of 
Puteoli, we passed out of Naples at the west 
side by the road or grotto of Posilippo. This 
is a tunnel through a mountain, and is a half 
mile long and a hundred and fifty feet high. 
Emerging from this, we soon met with the 
ruins of houses along the way that had been 
shaken down by earthquakes. About tw r o 
hours' ride brought us to Puteoli, which stands 
by the sea-side, with a small but convenient 
harbor. It was formerly noted for its warm 
baths and springs, from which it is supposed to 
have derived its name. This is the most 
ancient looking town that I have yet seen. It 
contains a population of perhaps ten thousand, 
and looks as though it had been finished a 
thousand years ago. The houses are built of stone 
with small windows, and have a very gloomy 
appearance. Here was the famous bridge built 
by Caligula, the Roman Emperor, the ruins of 
which yet remain to tell the massive character 
of the work. Just back of the town is the ruin of 
an old Roman amphitheater. But that which 
brought me here, more especially, is the fact 
that this is the place where Paul landed and 
ended his long and tedious voyage from Cesarea, 
when, as a prisoner, he was on his way to Rome. 
Here he found brethren with whom he tarried 



146 



Wonders of the East. 



seven days. (Acts xxviii : 13). After travers- 
ing about all its streets, and thereby making 
sure that I had walked where Paul had walked, 
I returned to Naples. 



LETTER XV, 

FROM NAPLES TO ALEXANDRIA. 

A Storm,— Island of Crete. — Landing at Alex- 
andria.— The People —The City's Former 
Grandeur. — Obelisks. — Pompefs Pillar, — 
Catacombs* etc. 

FROM Naples I took passage on an Italian 
steamer to Alexandria. In sailing down 
the coast of Italy, and through the Straits of 
Missinia, I was very much interested in the 
scenery, which opened up before us. The vol- 
canic Strom boli stood up in rugged grandeur 
against the sky. We also passed near old R-e- 
gium on the left of the straits, where Pan] 
stayed one day, when on his way to Rome, 
(Acts xxviii : 13). Still further on was Mount 
Etna in the distance, and also old Syracuse, of 
so many historic associations. 

While on the Mediterranean we encountered 
one of those furious easterly storms, such, I 



From Naples to Alexandria. 147 

imagine, as Paul experienced over eighteen 
hundred years ago. (Acts xxii.) On Sabbath, 
December 10th, while the steamer was nobly 
battling with the winds and waves, I took out 
my Testament and read the above chapter (in 
which Paul's shipwreck is recorded,) with a 
deeper interest than I had ever read it before. 
As we passed close along the Island of Crete, 
where Paul first encountered his storm, I almost 
seemed to see them rolling and tossing amid 
the furious winds and waves as they " let her 
drive." Our wind at length changed round to 
the northwest, blowing more furiously than 
before ; so that when we arrived at Alexandria 
no pilot could come out ; and here, in sight of 
the city, we were running backward and for- 
ward, tossing, rolling, and pitching at a most 
fearful rate, waiting for a pilot, for forty-eight 
hours. 

As we finally approached the inlet, the most 
prominent objects that first met our eyes, were 
the light-house and the Pasha palace ; then 
numerous windmills along the shore came in 
view, and then the city. 

On entering the harbor, one of the most 
novel sights greeted us that I had ever seen 
before. We were soon surrounded with small 
boats manned with the strangest looking 
swarthy crews of Turks and Arabs, with still 
stranger looking costumes. After landing and 
passing through the custom-house in the accus- 



148 Wanders of the East. 

tomed way. we took an omnibus to the Hotel de 
Europe (I say we, for I had fallen into the 
pleasant company of Dr. Terry and wife from 
Cincinnati, and Dr. Eogers and a Mr. Brown, 
a lawyer, and his wife and mother-in-law, from 
Chicago. We were just in time to witness a 
great national holiday. The yearly fast of Ram- 
adan, which lasts thirty days, during which 
time no Mahomedan is permitted to take any 
refreshments of any kind between sunrise and 
sunset, had closed, and the last day of the three 
festive days that follow, called Bairum, was 
being celebrated in the most approved Egyptian 
style. Besides the firing of cannon and other 
public demonstrations of joy, the people were 
generally out. The streets, which are almost 
universally narrow and filthy, were crowded 
with the strangest sights imaginable. Xever 
before had I gazed on such a scene as met my 
eyes on every side. The evidence that we were 
in Egypt was overwhelming. Camels, drome- 
daries, donkeys, dogs, and people, seemed to 
block up the streets. But the strangest and the 
most comical sight after all is the wonderful 
medley of human beings that you meet in every 
street, go where you will. They present an 
almost endless variety of strange features : Turks, 
Albanians, Greeks, Syrians, Arabs, Copts, Abys- 
sinians, and Africans. In a word, from the sable 
negro, through all the intermediate shades of 
color to the white European, with a strange 



From Naples to Alexandria. 



149 



variety of social conditions and singular cos- 
tumes; some of them of gaudy colors, others 
plain. Picture to yourself people with white, 
green and blue turbans ; some dressed in a 
light blue garment which looks more like a 
dirty night-gown than anything else, and which 
but half conceals their nakedness ; others, in 
strange, incongruous, grotesque habiliments, 
which need to be seen in order to be understood ; 
some on foot ; others on donkeys, while donkey 
boys are belaboring the donkeys with sticks; 
some holloaing ; some scolding ; others quarrel- 
ing ; all gabbering, making more din, noise, 
and confusion than you ever heard before ; and 
you have a faint view, or picture, of life in 
the modern city of Alexandria. 

And yet this city was once called the queen 
of the East ; and such undoubtedly it then was, 
when its population numbered six hundred 
thousand souls. Here the renowned Ptolymies 
held their seat of empire for near three hundred 
years. Here stood the splendid temple of Se- 
rapis, an object of beauty and admiration. 
Here, too, directly in front of the city, on the 
isle of Pharos, which formed the harbor, stood 
the immense tower of Pharos (a light-house), 
that took rank as one of the seven wonders of 
the world. It is said to have been five hundred 
feet high, casting its rays of light one hundred 
miles out upon the sea. In a word, here once 
stood in imposing grandeur, palaces, magnificent 



150 



Wonders of the East. 



tempos, spacious theaters, and gorgeous palaces. 
Here was then the seat of literature, the 
center of learning and refinement. Here, too, 
was the great museum which at one time had 
fourteen thousand students, from different parts 
of the world. Here was the famous College of 
Philosophy, whose renowned library was the 
largest and choicest in the world ; and is said 
to have contained no less than seven hundred 
thousand volumes, four hundred thousand of 
which were in the museum, and three hundred 
thousand in the temple of Serapis. In this vast 
collection was treasured up the whole of the 
Greek and Roman literature. 

Alexandria has also some very interesting 
associations to the Christian world. Here the 
most ancient version, the Septuagint translation 
of the old Hebrew Testament Scriptures into 
Greek, called the Codex Alexandrinus, was 
made, from which our Saviour and his Apostles 
so frequently quoted, in referring to the law 
and the prophets. Here, according to Eusebius 
and others, the Evangelist Mark preached the 
Gospel, founded a Christian Church, and suffer- 
ed martyrdom. Here the profoundly learned 
Jew Philo, lived and died. Here the distin- 
guished and philosophic Clemens taught and 
wrote, and here his pupil, the scholarly Origen, 
was born and educated. 

But its glory has departed. From the time 
of its capture by Caliph Omar, in a. d. 640, it 



From Naples to Alexandria. 151 

rapidly declined until it became more noted 
for its ruins than for its greatness. In the six- 
teenth century it reached its lowest point of 
degradation, when its population scarcely ex- 
ceeded six thousand. From that time, however, 
it began to revive, and recently its prosperity 
has been greatly accelerated, until now it num- 
bers about one hundred thousand inhabitants. 

The first place I visited after getting my hotel 
arrangement completed, was the site of the 
Obelisks or Cleopatra's needles. These are 
found at the northeast angle of the city, just 
inside the wall, near the sea. One is still stand- 
ing ; the other has fallen, and now lies prostrate^ 
and covered up with the sand. It is said they 
were quarried in the reign of Thothmes III., in 
1495 b. c, and that they formerly stood before 
the temple of the sun, or Neptune, at Heliopolis, 
and that they were subsequently brought here 
for one of the Caesars, to grace the entrance to 
some magnificent temple or palace. The stand- 
ing obelisk is about eight feet square at the 
bottom, shooting up to the height of seventy 
feet, tapering otf gradually to less than five 
feet at the point where the line of angle sudden- 
ly changes, so as to form a pyramidal pinnacle 
at the top. On each side of this huge shaft are 
inscribed three long lines of hieroglyphics 
reaching from the top to the bottom. These 
once mysterious characters are now deciphered, 
and made to speak of the long, long past — of 



152 



Wonders of the East. 



the skill and enterprise of remote ages. What 
wonderful changes this column has witnessed, 
as thrones have crumbled and dynasties have 
passed away ! What wide-spread decay and 
desolation ! How memories of past ages like 
spectral forms from the misty deep flit before the 
mind, as we gaze upon this old relic of a remote 
period. Where are they who quarried it, 
the head that planned it, the sculpturers who 
carved it, and the hands that reared it? All, 
all gone, ages ago. The next place we visited 
was Pompey's Pillar. As the streets were 
mnddy in consequence of a rain that had just 
fallen, I availed myself of the common mode of 
conveyance of the country. Had you have 
been along you would have seen me astride of a 
donkey, in true Egyptian style, with an Arab 
dressed in a sort of blue frock (or shirt), that 
came down to his knees, bare-legged and bare- 
footed, running behind, holding on to the don- 
key's tail, and whipping him up. Our company, 
to whom I have already referred, were exceed- 
ingly amused with this ridiculous outfit and ap- 
pearance, while I regarded it as one of the most 
eventful circumstances of my life. 

This column tradition has associated with 
Pompey, the rival of Julius Csesar. How this 
happened, it is not easy to determine. It is 
thought to have been erected in honor of the 
Emperor Diocletian in a. d. 296. It stands on 
an irregular eminence apart from any edifice, 



From Naples to Alexandria. 153 



and consists of a base, pedestal, shaft, and capi- 
tal. The base, or foundation, is built of rough 
stones cemented together, and in all probability 
was originally covered from view. The pedes- 
tal is a huge block of hard redish granite, about 
ten feet square. Upon this lies a thinner and 
broader stone, constituting the proper base of 
the column, which is about twelve feet high. 
From this rises the noble and imposing shaft of 
red granite, seventy-three feet high. It is all 
of one piece, perfectly round, twenty-nine feet 
eight inches in circumference, and highly 
polished. Its summit is crowned with a beauti- 
ful Corinthian capital sixteen feet in horizontal 
diameter, and ten feet thick, making a total 
height of ninety-five feet. Upon the top there 
stood originally an equestrian statue, which 
must have added very much to its beauty. It 
is said once to have occupied the center of the 
city ; but now it not only stands outside of the 
gate, but even a considerable distance beyond 
the city suburbs towards the lake Mareotis ; not 
that the pillar has changed its location, but such 
have been the changes of the city since the 
period of its erection. 

Another special object of interest is the cata- 
combs, some two miles west of the city, but 
which were once within its suburbs. These 
immense excavations, that present to the eye 
not only mechanical skill, but even beauty, dat- 
ing back to an early Egyptian period, are in a 



154 



Wonders of the East, 



good state of preservation. As these were the 
first I had ever entered, you can well imagine 
the peculiar interest I felt in gazing upon them. 
Some of these, no doubt, once contained the 
remains of some of the most illustrious of that 
day. Somewhere here the body of Alexander 
the Great, who founded this city, was, after 
being brought from Babylon, deposited. But 
where is his dust now ? His golden coffin was 
appropriated to other purposes hundreds of 
years ago, and his sarcophagus is claimed to be 
now in the British Museum. What a commen- 
tary upon the vanity of wealth and power to 
secure an earthly immortality, or to prevent the 
wasting desolations of the tomb, or to secure 
undisturbed sepulchral rest and immunity from 
the avarice and curiosity of posterity ! 

To the east of the present city is pointed out a 
large square enclosure called the ruins of Queen 
Cleopatra's palace. Here also was fought the 
famous battle of Aboukir, in which Sir Ralph 
Abercromby fell. 

The site of Caesar's palace is also shown, 
where a part of the old wall is still standing. 
But most of the noble structures that once 
adorned the city of Alexandria are entirely 
gone. There is nothing left of the magnificent 
temples that were once the pride and glory of 
the city, except it be extensive mounds and 
fragments of cornices or broken columns. Her 
renowned library has been consumed ; her illus- 



Egypt. 



155 



trious schools of theology and philosophy have 
passed away ; her famed light-house of marble 
is no more ; her glory has departed. Desola- 
tion is seen on every side. For miles, especially 
east and west, are scattered in promiscuous con- 
fusion, time-worn and defaced marble statues, 
broken granite columns, fragments of entabla- 
tures, cornices, and capitals, which tell of her 
former grandeur and her departed glory. 



From Alexandria to Cairo. — Scenes by the Way. 
— Cairo. — Its Inhabitants.— Streets. — Houses. 
—Citadel.— Josephs Well. — Mosque of Ali. 
- — Horrid Treachery and Slaughter by M. AIL 
— A fine Vie w. — Ileliopolis. — Temple of Has- 
sen. — Temple of Taylaon. 

in ROM Alexandria, I w r ent by rail to Cairo, 



JL a distance of one hundred and thirty-one 
miles. Our route lay through a portion of the 
Delta, and nearly all the way the country is like 
a garden. We passed through numerous cotton- 
fields on t the route. As the waters from the 



LETTEB XVI. 



EGYPT. 




i 5 6 



Wonders of the East. 



overflowing of the Nile had recently passed off, 
we saw many plowing and preparing the soil 
for the various kinds of crops. Grasses and 
vegetables were already growing most luxuri- 
antly. But while all nature around us looked 
familiar and beautiful, there were among the 
people the same laughable oddities in the 
country, as we had seen in the city, except here 
they were intensified. Clothing seems to be of 
very little account among the lower classes in 
Egypt, except among the women to cover up 
their dirty and tattooed faces ; hence nakedness, 
however much it may disgust you, soon ceases 
to surprise you. We passed quite a number of 
clusters or villages of mud huts on our way, at 
some of which the train stopped, enabling me 
to inspect them more closely, which in due time 
1 shall attempt to describe. 

On arriving at Cairo, I began to realize that I 
was in the land of Egypt — the home of the 
Pharaohs. How strange it seems to know that 
I am in this renowned country in which the 
patriarch Jacob spent his latter days ; where 
Joseph also lived and died ; where the children 
of Israel toiled for many long, weary years, in 
terrible bondage ; the land where Moses was 
born and educated ; where the mighty Sesostres 
lived and reigned ! The land where the most 
stupendous miracles on record were wrought 
under Moses in behalf of Israel ; the asylum of 
our Saviour ; the cradle of civilization ; the 



Egypt. 



157 



nursery of science ; the land where ancient 
pyramids, obelisks, sphynxes, hieroglyphics, 
catacombs, and mummies, help to make up the 
round of wonders that make Egypt so pre- 
eminently inviting to antiquarians and travelers. 

Cairo. — This purely oriental city is the pre- 
sent capital of Egypt, and is situated on the 
eastern bank of the Nile, in a sandy plain. It 
is sometimes called New Cairo, to distinguish it 
from old Cairo, which is now in ruins. It is 
said to contain over four hundred thousand in- 
habitants, consisting of Arabs, Turks, Copts, 
Mamelukes, Greeks, Syrians, Jews and Armen- 
ians, with a sprinkling of Europeans ; some are 
white, some black, some copper-colored, some 
brown, some red, and some yellow. To this 
fact is to be attributed the strange medley and 
great variety of oriental costumes. A few are 
enveloped in silk and lace, or richly embroidered 
cloth, many with flowing trowsers and sleeves, 
while most have on only one solitary article of 
clothing, a sort of shirt of coarse cotton cloth, 
open in front down to the waist, and reaching 
only to the knees at most, and so thin as to 
reveal the entire outlines of the body, besides 
being often very ragged and dirty. This applies 
to the women as well as the men, except the 
women wear a veil or cloth over their faces, 
which they would not neglect for any considera- 
tion, while their persons are frequently exposed 



i 5 8 



Wonders of the East. 



in the most shameful manner, without the slight- 
est regard to taste or decency. The few, how 
ever, whose faces I have seen, by accident or 
otherwise, are generally besmeared with dirt, 
and tattooed in the most frightful forms. One 
thing, however, predominates amid the great 
variety of costumes and nakedness that you see 
around you, namely : the ever present and all- 
prevailing turbans ; some green, some white, 
some blue, and others black, according to their 
nationality. 

The streets are narrow, crooked, and filthy. 
They are generally from eight to fifteen feet 
wide and unpaved. Many of them, however, 
are not over six feet wide. Only one in the 
business part of the city is wide enough for 
carriages. This is the great public thorough- 
fare called the Muskay, which is thirty-two feet 
wide. The houses are generally of stone, flat- 
roofed with projecting upper stories, that almost 
meet each other overhead, leaving at most but 
a narrow streak of sky to be seen. In many 
instances the sky is not to be seen at all, as 
matting or something of the kind is thrown 
across from roof to roof, to shut out the sun from 
the streets below, which are generally filled 
with camels, horses, donkeys, men, women and 
children, crowding, jostling, pushing and halloo- 
ing, in wonderful confusion. The most crowded 
streets, however, are the bazaars or market- 
places, which frequently extend the whole length 



Egypt. 



!S9 



of the street. Different portions of them are 
devoted to different commodities. In one part 
are fruits peculiar to the east ; in another, cotton 
goods ; in another, silks, etc., etc. Their shops 
or stores are very peculiar. They are generally 
from six to twelve feet square. The floor is 
elevated from two to three feet above the street, 
without a chair or counter ; the salesman sits 
cross-legged upon the floor, while the buyer 
stands in the street. Often the room is suffi- 
ciently small so as to enable the proprietor to 
reach the most of his w T ares without rising from 
his seat at all. 

The Citadel. — This is the most important 
place in Cairo, and was one of the first locations 
I visited. This fortification stands on high 
ground that overlooks the entire city and country 
around. It contains an area of several acres, 
on which are located objects of peculiar interest. 
One of these, to me the most important, is what 
is called — 

The Well or Joseph. — This well, the history 
of which is still, I believe, involved in mystery, 
is undoubtedly the most remarkable well in 
existence. Contrary to my expectation, the 
shaft or well proper is not circular, but square, 
the sides of which are, I should judge, about 
fifteen feet across. It is excavated out of the 
solid rock, and is two hundred and seventy feet 
deep. Outside of the w T ell there is a stairway, 



i6o 



Wonders of the East. 



also excavated out of the same material that 
goes around the shaft of the well spirally until 
it reaches the bottom. There is a wall of native 
rock between it and the well, of about two feet 
in thickness, which is pierced at proper intervals 
with holes, to let into the stairway light from 
the well. Its history, so far as known, is as 
follows: In 1711, the Sultan commenced the 
erection of this castle. In clearing away the 
rubbish, and in grading the face of the rock 
preparatory to laying the foundation, this 
wonderful well was discovered — filled up with 
sand and rubbish. A gang of men was at once 
employed to dig out the sand to see what the 
excavation was. After an immense amount of 
labor the whole was removed, when this well ? 
such as we now see it, was brought to light. 
Its origin is unknown. Many suppose it belongs 
to the period of the pyramids, when men de- 
lighted in doing wonders. 

Here, also, within the walls of the fortress, is 
the Mosque of Mohammed Ali — one of the finest 
structures in all Egypt. Its marble exterior, 
size, beautiful dome, and lofty minarets, give it 
an imposing appearance. Having taken off my 
boots (and declining to put the slippers on they 
furnished me), I was conducted, in my stocking 
feet, by my guide, through a splendid open 
court, paved with marble, and surrounded with 
a colonnade of beautiful marble pillars ; we then 
entered the mosque, which forms the east side 



Egypt. 



161 



of the court. The interior is very fine. The 
floor is richly carpeted. Its walls, pillars, and 
arches, are of the most beautiful alabaster ; the 
ceiling is painted and gilded ; a mellow light 
comes streaming through upper stained-glass 
windows ; an immense glass chandelier is sus- 
pended from the central dome ; around this is 
circle after circle of a thousand lamps, all on 
the same level. This mosque was built by Mo- 
hammed Ali, as much for his tomb, as a place 
of worship ; accordingly, in a conspicuous part 
of the edifice stands his sepulchre, where his re- 
mains repose, surrounded with a railing, and 
adorned with silver lamps that are ever kept 
burning. All the larger mosques are built after 
the same plan. A niche in the wall, on the in- 
side, points out the direction of Mecca, towards 
which the face of the worshipers must be 
turned, in order that their devotions may be ac- 
cepted. On the right of this niche stands the 
pulpit; on the opposite side, a volume of the 
Koran lies on a sort of table that is supported 
by two small columns. There are no seats of 
any kind. Women and children are not allowed 
to enter them at any time. The above general 
outlines apply to all the mosques of any pre- 
tensions. Women, children, and seats are ex- 
cluded from all. 

In the reign of Mohammed Ali, in 1811, one 
of the most remarkable incidents connected with 
Egyptian history occurred within the walls of 



Wonders of the East. 



this fortress. The Sultan determined to destroy 
the political power and influence of the Mame- 
lukes (the Arabic word for slaves), who were of 
a different race, and had controlled the govern- 
ment of Egypt for two hundred and sixty-three 
years, when their dynasty was overthrown, in 
1517, by Selim I. They still, however, gov- 
erned the provinces by twenty-four Beys of their 
own number. To put an end to this, the Sultan 
prepared a grand entertainment at the palace, 
to which all the dignitaries of the land were in- 
vited. Special pains being taken to secure the 
attendance of all the chief men of the Mame- 
lukes, no less than four hundred and forty of 
them were there. The occasion was one of 
great pomp, and the imposing ceremonies did 
not end until a late hour ; at which time the 
Mamelukes, after the usual courtesies and in- 
terchange of salutations, retired and mounted 
their horses to return to their homes. On reach- 
ing the gate, however, to their amazement they 
found it shut and barred. A suspicion of 
treachery at once flashed across their minds. 
But what could they do ? Before they had time 
to plan or determine anything, a sudden flash 
and crack of musketry revealed their worst ap- 
prehensions. Many of them fell at the first fire. 
Thicker and faster came the leaden balls of 
death. Every discharge of musketry told ter- 
ribly upon their ranks. Resistance or escape 
seemed to be alike impossible ; and, sad to re- 



Egypt. 



late, all of this large number were murderously 
shot down except Emir Bey, who, seeing the 
certain destruction that awaited him within this 
terrible enclosure, put spurs to his horse, dashed 
across the yard, and down a fearful, perpendicu- 
lar precipice his charger leaped. The horse was 
killed, but the Bey escaped with his life. The 
place pointed out to me where he took the fear- 
ful leap is, I should judge, some forty feet down 
to where he would land. 

From this eminence a fine view of Cairo and 
the surrounding country is obtained. The city, 
with its four hundred mosques, is from, this 
point a picture of beauty. Ton see nothing of 
the filth of the streets and their motley crowds. 
Tou are out of the reach of the noise and con- 
fusion of the bazaars. The lower and meaner 
structures disappear ; while palaces, domes, and 
graceful minarets stand out distinctly before 
you. The alternate layers of red and white, 
running horizontally in the construction of the 
mosques, give them a fine appearance. But 
this is not all. Beyond the limits of the city, 
there stretches out in every direction a marvel- 
ous landscape. On the west are seen, in the 
distance, the glaring sands of the desert and the 
pyramids of Grhizeh ; while further south are 
the site of Memphis and the pyramids of Sak- 
kara. To the north you see the Nile threading 
its way to the delta and sea. To the east, six 
or seven miles away, you see a lone obelisk 



164 



Wonders of the East, 



standing up against the sky, that marks the site 
of the ancient city of Heliopolis — the " On " of 
the Bible. Here Joseph married his wife Asen- 
ath, a daughter of the priest of On (Gen. 
xli : 45). Here it is said that Joseph and 
Mary, with the child Jesus, lived during their 
stay in Egypt, to escape the wrath of Herod. 
Here, it is claimed that Moses was educated, 
and thus prepared to be the leader of the Is- 
raelites out of Egypt. But this once proud and 
opulent city has disappeared. Nothing but 
mounds and fragments of ruins are to be seen, 
and but few of these. The sands of the desert 
have become its winding-sheet, where it lies 
entombed without the promise of a resurrection. 
This obelisk, that is known from its inscriptions 
to have stood here when Joseph was lord over 
Egypt, and Jacob's sons came to buy corn; 
which, in a word, dates back four thousand 
years, now stands as the tombstone of Heliopolis. 

I next visited the Mosque of Sultan Hassen, 
which is very large, and said to be the finest 
specimen of Arabian architecture in Cairo, or 
perhaps in all Egypt. It was built in 1350, or 
a little over five hundred years ago, by Sultan 
Hassen, who was afterwards murdered by the 
Mamelukes in this very place; and on the tes- 
selated marble floor, the stain of his blood is still 
pointed out where he met his doom. In one of 
the spacious rooms of the building is a tomb 
which holds his remains. 



Egypt. 



165 



From this, I went to the Temple of Tayloon, 
in old Cairo, which is noted for its great age, as 
well as some other particulars, having been 
built in 880. It is said to be a precise copy, in 
miniature, of the great mosque at Mecca. It 
surrounds a square, each side of which is five 
hundred feet long. It is built with pointed 
arches, and is claimed to be the oldest specimen 
of this style known. The minaret, or tower, has 
a winding stairway on its outside. "Within its 
walls is the tomb of Amer Tayloon. But its 
columns, and arches, and walls, are crumbling 
with age. It is little else than an old ruin. 
Yet a thousand years has made it venerable to 
outsiders as well as to Mohammedans. It is 
said to stand on the spot where Amer, with his 
Saracen army, encamped, in his subjugation of 
Egypt to the Moslem power. These are the 
principal mosques of the city ; the rest being of 
an inferior grade, nothing additional is to be 
seen in visiting them. I entered some of them, 
but saw nothing worthy of note. 



1 66 



Wonders of the East. 



LETTEB XVII. 



EGYPTIAN SCENES AND WONDERS. 

Tombs of the Caliphs. — The Nile. — Pasha's 
Palace. — The Pyramids. — Their Immense 
Size. — Sphynx. — A Temple. — Memphis. — 
Farming. — Mud Mats, etc. — From Cairo to 
Suez. — The Country. — Suez. — The Red Sea. 
— The Tide. 

the south side of Cairo, near the Yictory 



gate, is a burying-ground some two miles 
square, in which are located the tombs of the 
Mamelukes and the Caliphs. Those of the 
former are large and white, looking very much 
as I had anticipated ; but the latter far exceeded 
my expectations. They are within a spacious 
stone building, in the form of a Mohammedan 
temple, and are beautifully ornamented with 
costly decorations. While I was there, num- 
bers of the devout were before the tombs, going 
through their peculiar forms of religious pros- 
trations, without the slightest regard to our 
presence. 

One of my interesting excursions was to the 
banks of the Nile, to gaze upon the stream of 
which I had so often read and thought. It is 
not so wide and grand in appearance as some 
other rivers I have seen. Its banks are low, 
and its waters are turbid — at least, they are so 




Egypt. 



167 



now. Bat as I stood by its side, how my 
thoughts wandered up and down ! I remem- 
bered that in its waters Pharaoh's daughters 
bathed. Here the infant Moses was found — the 
very river over which he subsequently stretched 
his rod, and forthwith its waters were turned to 
blood ; the river of which Homer sang, and 
Isaiah prophesied ; and which has made Egypt 
a garden in all ages. 

Having secured a ticket of admission to the 
Pasha's garden and palace, through the Ameri- 
can Consul, I crossed the Nile on a bridge of 
boats, presented my ticket to a guard of sol- 
diers, and was at once admitted within its walls. 
The grounds and palace are situated on the west 
bank of the Nile, and are truly most magnifi- 
cent. I will not attempt to give a description 
of either one or the other, except to say that ap- 
parently all that modern taste and skill and 
wealth can do toward making an earthly para- 
dise, has been done. Beautiful walks, bowers, 
grottos, colonnades, fountains, statuary, artifi- 
cial lakes, and every variety of choice tropical 
plants and fruits and flowers are seen on every 
side. The collection of animals and birds, in 
the Zoological department, embraced a large 
variety, and is the finest I have ever seen. 

Pyramids. — The morning having arrived that 
had been fixed upon for visiting the Pyramids, 
the American party who came with me from 



Wonders of the East. 



Naples (and to whom I have referred in a pre- 
vious letter), and myself, soon found ourselves 
seated in carriages, and on our way to one of 
the greatest wonders of Egypt and of the world — 
the famous Pyramid of Cheops. During the 
drive, a distance of twelve miles, we noticed a 
very singular illusion. The Pyramids did not 
seem near so large, nor half the distance off 
that they really were. But when we came near 
them, they then began to appear gigantic ; and 
the longer I gazed upon them, the mightier 
they seemed to grow, until their size became 
truly wonderful. We first came to Cheops, the 
largest of the group. It is located just in the 
edge of the desert. Its base is said to be one 
hundred feet above the waters of the Nile, and 
rests upon a solid rock, which had been cut 
away to a perfect level, for a foundation. It 
has four equal sides, which are said to face the 
four cardinal points of the compass with greater 
exactness than can be determined by the com- 
pass without the aid of scientific calculation. 
It is built of dressed limestone, the blocks of 
which are from three to four feet in thickness, 
and seven or eight feet long, and as many wide. 
These are systematically adjusted in two hun- 
dred and six layers, one above another, in a re- 
ceding series, forming huge steps, running up 
at an angle of 52°, and reaching the enormous 
height of four hundred and eighty-six feet. It 
has been ascertained, by calculation, to contain 



Egypt. 



169 



seventy million cubic feet of solid masonry, 
and covers more than eleven acres of land. 
Within this immense pile are two chambers, 
called the king's and queen's. The queen's is 
seventeen feet long, fourteen feet wide, and 
twelve feet high, and entirely empty. The 
king's is directly over the other, and seventy- 
one feet above it, and is thirty-four feet long, 
eighteen feet wide, and nineteen feet high. The 
walls and ceilings of both rooms are formed of 
immense blocks of granite, highly polished. 
The king's chamber contains a sarcophagus of 
red granite, seven and a half feet long, three 
feet and three inches wide, and three feet and a 
half deep ; and is known to have been placed 
there while the Pyramid was in process of 
building, as the passage leading to the chamber 
is too small to admit it. Here, undoubtedly, he 
who reared this immense pile intended his re- 
mains should rest in undisturbed security ; but 
they are gone, and where they are no mortal 
can tell. By a careful examination of all the 
facts connected with this structure, together with 
whatever has a bearing upon the subject, scien- 
tific men have placed its building in b. a 2170. 
According to this, it has stood here nearly four 
thousand years ; was old even in the days of 
Moses ; was also seen by Jacob's sons when 
they came down into Egypt to buy corn ; and 
was undoubtedly looked upon with wonder, even 
by Abraham. 



I/O 



Wonders of the East. 



But a short distance to the south of this pyra- 
mid (for there are others in the vicinity,) is the 
Sphynx, which justly takes rank among the 
wonders of Egypt. Its body is that of a lion 
lying upon the ground with his fore paws 
extended, while the breast, neck, and head, are 
those of a man. Its size is truly enormous. It 
is one hundred and twenty-eight feet long ; from 
the bottom of the belly to the top of the head, 
fifty-five feet nine inches ; circumference of the 
head around the forehead, eighty-eight feet 
seven inches. Its fore paws stretch out fifty 
feet in front of the body. It faces the east, and 
has been sculptured out of one immense block 
of stone, that must have been originally on the 
Bpot. It undoubtedly belongs to the period of 
the pyramids, and once received divine honors. 
Here it has stood for thousands of years in sol- 
emn greatness and grandeur, amid the drifting 
sands of the desert, while generation after gen- 
eration have passed away, and dynasties have 
changed, and empires have perished. 

A hundred paces or so from the Sphynx, is a 
temple in ruins, that belonged to the same 
period. The lower part of it, which has been 
buried in the sands of the desert, is in a good 
state of preservation. It is built of granite 
and. alabaster, but principally of the former. 
The granite blocks are beautifully faced, and so 
nicely fitted to each other, as to require close 
inspection to discover the seam. There are also 



Egypt. 



171 



many other objects of interest in this immediate 
neighborhood, but I have not time to dwell 
upon them. 

A few miles to the south of this point is seen 
the sandy plain of Memphis, and a little to the 
west of this plain, the pyramids of Sakkara, 
rearing their awful forms against the sky. 
Although not a vestige of Memphis remains, 
except the prostrate statue of Remeses, yet here 
the Pharaohs held their seat of empire. Here 
Joseph lived, and to this city Jacob's sons came 
to buy corn, and here Joseph was made known 
to them as their brother, whom they had years 
before cruelly sold into Egypt. Memphis was 
a great city in its day, as its extensive burying- 
grounds, to the west of it, abundantly prove. 
But Isaiah was directed to foretell its doom (see 
Isaiah xix.), and in due time its destruction 
came. 

While the arable land of Egypt is almost a 
perfect level, clear of stone, and very fertile, 
the people are generally poor. This is owing 
principally to two circumstances. The first is, 
they do not own the soil. The whole land 
belongs to the Pasha of Egypt, or the Sultan of 
Turkey. The people are merely tenants, paying 
a yearly stipend of from one dollar and fifty 
cents to five dollars per acre, according to qual- 
ity. Even this tenancy cannot be sold without 
permission from the government. Any man 
can be turned oif of his farm at any time the 



172 



Wonders of the East. 



governor chooses. The other difficulty is they 
do not understand farming. They have no 
plows, except wooden ones, which merely root 
the ground instead of turning a furrow. Their 
teams, with which they plow, etc., are of the 
same order. Sometimes a yoke of oxen, but 
more frequently an ox and a horse, or a camel 
and a cow, with a yoke, in either case, perfectly 
straight, and at least ten feet long. They have 
neither hoes, rakes, or spades. Hence the land 
is poorly tilled, and after the heavy taxes are 
taken out, there is but little left. This keeps 
the people poor ; and then such poverty I never 
saw before. Their dwellings, or rather mud 
huts, are not scattered over the land as houses 
are with us, but are clustered together in vil- 
lages ; but what singular villages ! I wish I 
could give the reader an idea of these miserable 
hovels, but they are so unlike anything that 
was ever seen in the States, as to make it a most 
difficult task. Try, however, to picture to your- 
self, an enclosure ten feet by twenty, with mud 
walls six or seven feet high, across the top of 
which poles are laid, over which is spread a sort 
of reed or thatch, to keep out the sun by day ; 
a rickety door that serves to close up at night, a 
low irregular entrance, through which you can- 
not pass without stooping ; the interior divided 
into two rooms, the front one serving for the 
general purposes of the family, the furniture of 
which consists of a few dirty straw mats, upon 



Egypt. 



173 



which they sit ; no flooring except the ground ; 
not a table or chair of any kind, not even a 
bench : — the other, or back room, furnished 
precisely like the front, except, in the place of 
mats, one or two dirty scanty straw beds ; the 
naked earth for a floor ; not a window of any 
kind in either room, except here and there a 
hole near the top of the wall, about the size of 
a man's hat, the door and roof supplying what 
additional light is needed — and you have before 
you an imperfect description of an Egyptian 
mud hovel, of which you see hundreds huddled 
together without any apparent order. The 
above is no exaggeration — it is not the worst, 
but a medium tenement. The larger number 
of these mud huts have but one room, and that 
not over six feet in diameter, instead of the 
size described above. I speak from actual per- 
sonal knowledge, as I have, during the two 
weeks I have been in Egypt, been among them 
and in them. These clusters of dwellings are 
always built .on elevated ground, otherwise the 
inundation of the Nile would flood them. 

After having finished my visit in Cairo, I 
took the cars to Suez, a distance of one hundred 
and fifty miles. For near half of that distance 
we passed through a beautiful, luxuriant plain, 
interspersed with extensive cotton-fields, which 
were called into existence by our war. At 
length we reached the border of the desert, 
where a vast waste of sand stretched out before 



174 



Wonders of the East. 



us, as far as the eye could see. And then, for 
hour after hour, there was nothing but sand, 
sand, sand — an utter desolation. We reached 
Suez a little after dark. Suez is situated at the 
head of the Red Sea, and contains over six 
thousand inhabitants. 

The Red Sea has a special interest to the 
Bible student. Here the Israelites were en- 
camped, on its western shore, when the terrify- 
ing announcement was made that the Egyptian 
army was advancing with chariots and horse- 
men for their capture. Consternation and dis- 
may quickly spread like fire throughout the 
entire encampment. Methinks I see the hurry, 
bustle, and confusion of the panic-stricken 
throng. Methinks I hear the universal cry, as 
they chide with Moses : " Were there no graves 
in Egypt, that thou hast taken us away to die 
in the wilderness ?" I fancy, however, that I 
see Moses standing in the midst of them, digni- 
fied, calm, and hopeful; and then lifting up his 
voice like a trumpet, I hear him exclaim, 
" Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, 
which he will show you to-day, for the Egyp- 
tians whom ye have seen this day, ye shall see 
them again no more forever." (Ex. xiv : 5-31.) 

In .confirmation of this stupendous miracle, 
we find names given to immediate localities 
commemorative of the event that have come 
down from a remote antiquity. Hence the 
valley where they were probably encamped is 



Egypt. 



175 



called " Badeah," which means the miraculous. 
The mountain range is called " Jebel Attaka," 
which signifies the mountain of deliverance. 
A range of mountains on the opposite side of 
the sea, is known as a Jebel Tih, " the moun- 
tains of wandering ; and also a valley named 
" Wady Tih," the valley of wandering. Nearly 
opposite this peninsula is a spring called " Ai n 
Mousa," the fountain of Moses, etc. 

As I had often heard persons suggest that the 
natural rise and fall of the tide might account 
for the passage of the Israelites and the destruc- 
tion of the Egyptians,, without the intervention 
of a miracle, I made particular inquiry at 
Suez, in reference to the amount of its rise and 
fall, and was told it was about three and a half 
feet. This accorded with my own observation. 

From Suez, I went to Ismalia by rail, and 
from this point down the canal to Port Said. 
On the route I saw a caravan of forty-two 
camels that were on their way from Syria down 
to Egypt — pursuing the same route in all prob- 
ability that was traveled by the caravan that 
carried Joseph down into Egypt over three 
thousand years ago. 



1 7 6 



Wonders of the East. 



LETTER XVIII. 



"WHAT I SAW IX THE HOLT LAND. 

Discouraging Reports from Palestine. — Jaffa. 
— Population. — Streets. — An Old Town. — Its 
Historical Incidents. — JSamleh. — lydda. — 
Plains of Sharon. — Ajalon. — Terelinih. — 
Ernmcius. — The Mountains. — Jerusalem. — 
Church of the Holy Sepulchre* 

"TTT"HILE at Cairo, various reports reached 



\ V me respecting the cholera in Palestine 
and the establishment of a quarantine for all 
vessels from the coast of Syria. The American 
Consul of Cairo told me also that he did not 
think it advisable for me, under the circum- 
stances, to visit that country. In addition to 
all this. I saw a gentleman from Philadelphia, 
who, on his way from the Holy Land, had been 
quarantined at Alexandria, twenty-one days, at 
an expense for board of eighty-four dollars. 
After a considerable of doubt and perplexity as 
to what I should do, I finally resolved to risk 
whatever danger might be incurred, and ac- 
cordingly took a steamer from Port Said to 
Jaffa, where I landed on the 29th of December. 

Jaffa, which the Arabs call Yaffa, and which 
the Bible calls Joppa, has a population of some 
fifteen thousand. From the steepness of the 




What I saw in the Holy Land. 177 

side hill upon which it is built, it shows to very- 
good advantage, as you approach it from the 
sea. Its stone buildings, with their numerous 
flat domes rising above the roofs, give it rather 
an imposing appearance, especially when view- 
ed from a distance ; but on entering it the charm 
is broken. The streets are narrow and filthy. 
Besides, in consequence of the unevenness of 
the ground, many of them are broken by flights 
of steps. In fact, there is but one street that 
may be called passable for camels, and that is 
the one running along the sea wall. And yet 
this place is justly held in high esteem. It is 
one of the oldest cities in the world. When the 
Israelites first came to this country it was then 
a place of considerable importance. It is even 
claimed by some Rabbinical writers to have 
derived its name from Japhet, and to have been 
built immediately after the flood. At all events 
its history is known to run back to a remote 
period. All the timber furnished Solomon by 
Hiram, king of Tyre, for the building of the 
temple and his palaces, were floated down to 
Joppa, and from thence conveyed to Jerusalem. 
It was here that Jonah took ship to go to Tarsh- 
ish in disobedience to God, who had directed 
him to go to Nineveh and proclaim its doom. 
It was here that Dorcas, who was full of good 
works, lived and died, and was restored to life 
again by the Apostle Peter. (Acts ix : 36-43.) 
It was also here that Simon the tanner lived, 



1/8 Wonders of the East. 



close by the sea-side, with whom Peter lodged 
when he had that wonderful vision of the sheet 
let down from heaven, etc. (Acts x : 5-6-9-16.) 
The house pointed out to me by my guide, 
answers well the description given by the sacred 
writer. It is located by the sea-side, and is un- 
doubtedly of great age. There are also vats in 
the yard excavated out of the solid rock, which 
are said to have been used by him in his business. 

Having bargained with an Arab to take me 
to Jerusalem, we set out on horseback in the 
afternoon for that city. As we passed out of 
Jaffa, we rode through the most beautiful 
groves of orange trees, loaded with their golden 
fruit, and also orchards of lemon and apricot 
trees, giving equal evidence of fruitfulness. 
About ten miles brought us to Eamleh, where I 
spent the night. One of the most prominent 
objects of this place is an old stone tower of 
massive proportions, one hundred and twenty 
feet high. From its top I had a fine view of 
the extensive plains of Sharon, in the midst of 
which Eamleh is located. From this point I 
had also a full view of the village of Lydda, 
which is close at hand, and where Peter healed 
Eneas of the palsy, and where he was when he 
was sent for, to come to Joppa on account of 
the death of Dorcas. Around this tower are 
portions of walls and arches still standing. Its 
history, however, is involved in mystery. 
Eamleh has a population of some three thou- 



What I saw in the Holy Land. 179 



sand. This place is claimed by some to be the 
Arimathea, where Joseph formerly lived, in 
whose tomb the body of Christ was laid. 

The plains of Sharon, so celebrated for their 
fertility in Solomon's time, have lost their for- 
mer character. The prophecy of Isaiah has 
been fulfilled — " Sharon has become a desert." 
Some seven miles from Eamleh brought us to 
the village of Yalo, the Ajalon of the Bible. 
Just below it stretches out the valley of Ajalon, 
over which Joshua commanded the moon to stand 
still (Josh. x. 12). "We also crossed the valley of 
Terebinth, where David is said to have slain the 
giant Goliah. Passing on we at length came to 
Emmaus, where Judas Maccabeus so signally 
defeated the Syrians ; and the place, as some 
suppose, to which the two disciples were jour- 
neying when our Saviour, after his resurrection, 
talked with them on the way, and where He 
made himself known [to them in the breaking 
of bread (Luke xxiv. 13-31). Do you wonder 
that my very soul was stirred within me as I 
gazed upon these sacred localities of which I 
had been reading all my life long ? I will not 
attempt to describe my feelings as I began to 
realize that I was on hallowed ground ; that I 
was at last in the land that above all other lands, 
is endeared to every believer, no matter what 
are his creed and name ; the country where 
wonder has followed wonder, and miracle has 
followed miracle, until the whole land has 



i8o 



Wonders of the East, 



glowed with a divine glory . I feel most em- 
phatically " it is good to be here." 

After having crossed the plains of Sharon 
(which are some twelve miles wide), and a strip 
of hilly country, we entered among the moun- 
tains, which are very peculiar, and unlike any 
that I had ever seen before. They are not only 
destitute of timber (as I expected), but also 
even of bushes, which gives them a barren and 
naked appearance which I had not anticipated. 
Besides, their limestone formations lie in hori- 
zontal layers, each layer receding as you ascend, 
so as to give them the appearance of huge steps 
up the mountain-side. But the one great thought, 
the ardent wish that filled my soul, while as- 
cending and descending elevation after elevation? 
was Jerusalem ; and I found myself several 
times during the dav humming the words and 
tune : " Jerusalem, my happy home," etc. For 
an hour or more before we reached the city, 
with a throbbing heart and eager eyes I gazed 
from every new elevation, hoping to catch a 
glimpse of its towers, domes and minarets. At 
length they began to appear. There at last 
was J erusalem before me. We entered through 
the Jaffa gate about sunset, and soon found my- 
self comfortably quartered at the Cosanova 
Convent. 

ISText morning (Sunday), immediately after 
breakfast, I started for the Church of the Holy 
Sepulchre. Among the places of interest within 



What I saw in the Holy Land. 181 

and around Jerusalem, none can claim greater 
distinction than this. The entrance is on the 
south side, and is approached through a narrow, 
crooked street. You enter a paved court, by 
descending a broad flight of rude stone steps, 
the ground floor being below the street. On 
the right and left are portions of the wall of the 
Greek convent, which is built in connection with 
the church. From this court you have a good 
view of the building. The architecture is mas- 
sive and imposing. From one corner rises a 
large bell-tower. The great double-arched 
doorway is ornamented with deep mouldings 
and elaborate carvings. There is also finely 
wrought sculpture, in bold relief, representing 
our Lord's triumphant entry into Jerusalem. 
The church itself is rather a group of buildings 
united together under one roof, than a single 
edifice. It is very large, being three hundred 
and fifty feet long, and two hundred and eighty 
wide. Within are some seventeen chapels. Per- 
haps in no other place is there such a cluster of 
sanctuaries, transcepts, shrines, altars, vestries, 
naves, etc., etc. This is owing to the fact that 
this building is claimed to cover not only Cal- 
vary, and the tomb in which our Lord was laid, 
but a number of other sacred places. Hence, 
under this immense roofing is the altar of Mel- 
chisedec ; chapel of the sacrifice of Isaac ; chapel 
of the division of garments ; chapel of the three 
Crosses ; chapel of St. Helena ; chapel of the 



182 



Wonders of the East. 



Greeks ; chapel of the Latins ; chapel of the 
Jacobites ; chapel of the Copts ; chapel of the 
Maronites ; chapel of the Georgians ; chapel of 
the Armenians ; chapel of the Abyssinians, etc. 
Here amid a host of burning lamps and candles 
and smoking incense, I saw worshipers of 
almost all nationalities either chanting praises, 
or bowing before some hallowed shrine. I truly 
felt that I was on holy ground. For, although 
there is no absolute certainty, yet I see no ab- 
surdity in supposing that this was the place 
where our Lord was laid. I therefore drew 
near to the sepulchre with such feelings as a 
sense of the nearness of Christ alone can in- 
spire. This sacred place, as might be expected, 
occupies the most conspicuous part of the edi- 
fice, namely, the great rotunda. This is sixty- 
seven feet in diameter, and is surrounded by a 
dome which rests upon eighteen massive piers. 
Immediately under this immense dome is the 
" Holy Sepulchre. 5 ' I did not care just then 
to be too inquisitive about the locality of this 
sacred spot. I rather proposed to indulge such 
feelings that such associations are calculated to 
inspire, than engage in the cold formalities of 
criticism. Accordingly I entered this hallowed 
shrine and knelt down beside the tomb and 
lifted up my heart to Him who is risen from the 
dead, with feelings and emotions that I shall not 
soon forget. I felt it to be an interesting fact 
that, whatever might be the doubts of some. 



Bethlehem. 183 

this is regarded by the Christian world as 
the most sacred place on earth, and around 
which have clustered their best hopes and affec- 
tions for more than sixteen hundred years. 



LETTER XIX. 

BETHLEHEM. 

Bethlehem. — Farm of Boaz. — Shepherd's 
Grotto. — The place of Christ's Birth. — Stable 
and Manger. — Pools and Gardens of Solo- 
mon. — Cave of Adullam. — Mam. — Tomb of 
Rachel. 

IN the afternoon of December 31st, I went 
to Bethlehem, which is six miles south of 
Jerusalem, where I spent the night, and a part 
of the next day (New Year's day). There are 
but few places more noted in Bible history than 
this city. Bethlehem is built on the slope of a 
hill, and contains a population of about four 
thousand. The houses are of stone, substantial 
and compact. The streets narrow, filthy, and 
in many instances precipitous. Its surround- 
ings are pleasant. The land, though generally 
broken and rocky, is said to be fertile. It over- 
looks the plain where Boaz's farm was located, 
where Ruth gleaned after the reapers. I strolled 



J 84 



Wonders of the East. 



over this property with a great deal of interest. 
Close beside this the shepherds were keeping 
watch over their flocks, when the angel an- 
nounced to them the birth of our Saviour. I 
visited the grotto, the very spot where the 
shepherds are supposed to have been at the 
time. But let us return to Bethlehem, the place 
of Christ's birth. A large building covers a 
grotto where, I doubt not, this wonderful event 
took place. The floor of the grotto is about 
nine feet below the church floor, and about ten 
feet wide and eighteen feet long. I entered this 
sacred enclosure with feelings of reverence and 
awe. I was shown the place where He was 
born, and near by the manger in which He was 
laid. The former is a semi-circular recess, on 
the floor of which is a gilded star with this in- 
scription : " Hie natur esi Jesus Christies de 
YirgaP (Here Jesus Christ was born of the 
Virgin). The latter consists of a block of stone 
hollowed out somewhat like a trough. In both 
places a large number of costly lamps are kept 
burning, night and day, according to the cus- 
tom of Romanists. Hear by is also shown a 
pit or vault, where it is affirmed the children 
were thrown who were slain by order of Herod 
(Matt. ii. 16). Here is also shown the room in 
which Jerome made his translation, called the 
Vulgate, as is also his tomb. But that which 
impressed my mind most was the birth of Christ ; 
that over the place where I now stand the glit- 




Bethlehem. 



i8 5 



tering star shone, and to this sacred place, the 
Magi and shepherds came. Do you wonder 
that I was deeply impressed, and that I knelt 
down beside the place, while tears bedewed my 
cheeks? You may call it superstition or what 
you please, I will not stop to dispute with you ; 
enough for me to know it was to me a blessed 
and a hallowed hour. 

On the road to Hebron, some three miles 
south of Bethlehem, are the pools and gardens 
of Solomon. The pools are three in number, 
and on an immense scale. The upper one is 
three hundred and eighty feet long, two hun- 
dred and thirty-six wide, and twenty-five deep. 
The middle one is four hundred and twenty- 
three feet long, two hundred and fifty wide, 
and thirty-nine deep. The lower one is 
five hundred and eighty- two feet long, two 
hundred and seven wide, and fifty deep. About 
one hundred yards distant is the fountain that 
supplies them. It is covered with a stone 
building, and I counted twenty-six steps that 
led down to it. Just below these pools are the 
gardens of Solomon, together with the rains 
of his summer house, etc. It is said he made 
for himself a gardens, and orchards, and pools 
of water," etc. (Eccl.ii. 5-6). From these pools 
water was originally conducted to Jerusalem, a 
distance of nine miles. A part of the old aque- 
duct is still standing. 

A short distance from here I was shown a 



Wonders of the East, 



grotto, supposed to have been the cave of Acini- 
lain, where David cut off the skirt of Saul's 
garment (1 Sam. xxiv. 2-7), 

I also visited the site of Etam, where Samson 
dwelt at one time ( Judges xv. 8-13.) It is very 
properly called the top of the rock, as it is the 
top of a cone-like hill, where there is little else 
than rock and loose stones that may once have 
formed a part of Samson's dwelling. On re- 
turning to Bethlehem, 1 visited the celebrated 
well, the waters of which David had learned in 
youth to so highly prize (for David was brought 
up in Bethlehem), and which three of his men 
risked their lives to obtain for him on a certain 
occasion (2 Sam. xxiii. 15-16). 

A short distance from Bethlehem, by the 
roadside, is the tomb of Rachel, Jacob's wife, 
whom he loved so dearly, the mother of Joseph 
and Benjamin. This place is equally reverenced 
by Mohammedans and Christians, and I believe 
there is no dispute as to this being the very spot 
where the remains of Rachel were laid. It so 
precisely agrees with the account respecting 
the locality as to make it pretty certain that 
this is the place. As Jacob was on his way 
from Bethel to Hebron he would necessarily 
pass along this road. In the next place, " It 
was but a little way from Bethlehem, where she 
died and was buried" (Gen. xxxv. 16-20). And 
in the next place Jacob set up a pillar to mark 
the spot; and. doubtless, from that time to the 



Bethlehem. 



187 



present, as monument after monument has 
crumbled away, a new one has been erected, so 
that, in all probability, there never has been a 
time since Jacob set up the first pillar, but some 
stone has designated the place and commemo- 
rated the sad event. 

As I gazed upon these sacred places, what 
strange emotions kindled within my bosom f 
What a land of wonders is stretched out before 
me ! What stirring scenes have transpired all 
around me ! It seems as though every hill and 
valley is associated with some Bible story, or 
echoes the voice of some inspired prophet, 
announcing divine blessings or maledictions.— 
After having spent one of the most interesting 
New Year's days of my life, I returned to Jeru- 
salem with feelings very much, I presume, like 
those experienced by the two disciples when 
they hurried to this city after the Lord had made 
himself known to them at Emmaus, "in the 
breaking of bread." 



188 



Wonders of the East, 



LETTEB XX, 



TEIP TO THE DEAD SEA AXD THE JORDAN. 

A Bough Road. — Marsala. — A Scene of Deso- 
lation. — ■ The Dead Sea. — A Swim. — The 
Sea's Appearance and Character. — The Jor- 
dan. — Its Size. — Old GilgaL — Pisgah. — 
Jericho. — The Wilderness. — An Ancient Lin. 

T I iHIS part of my tour I had, from the begin- 



JL ning, most dreaded, as it is generally re- 
garded as one of the most dangerous routes in 
all Palestine, on account of the Bedouins who 
occupy the section of country bordering upon 
the Dead Sea and the Jordan, and who are ever 
ready to pounce upon the traveler at any time 
for plunder. The character of the road from 
Jerusalem to Jericho is very much to-day what 
it was in the days of our Saviour, who has 
stated it so clearly in the parable of the " man 
who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and 
fell among thieves, who stripped him and 
wounded him," etc. But I felt a degree of 
safety, from the fact that our party, dragoman, 
guard, muleteer and all, numbered over a dozen 
persons. TTe passed out of the Jaffa gate, 
turned down the valley of Gihon on the west 
side of the city, passing the lower pool of Ghion, 
and so on, sweeping around the southern end of 




The Dead Sea and the Jordan. 189 



the city, through the valley of Hinnom to the 
junction of the Kedron, and from thence down 
its valley. 

During the first half-hour's ride, or more, we 
passed orchards, and beautiful groves of fig, 
olive, and almond trees, and then entered upon 
a strange scene of desolation. Hour after hour 
we rode up and down the steep hill sides, in 
narrow stony paths, beside deep precipitous 
ravines, through dismal valleys, and among 
dark caverns, over hills and mountains, until 
just at sunset, we arrived at the famous convent 
of Marsaba, where we pitched our tents and 
spent the night. 

This monastery, history tells us, was founded 
in the fifth century, by St. Sabas. The situa- 
tion of this institution is wild and romantic in 
the extreme. Excessive barrenness, and the 
most dismal solitude reign in every direction. 
It is built on the steep side of a deep ravine. 
Some of the rooms are nothing more or less 
than natural caves, others have been excavated 
in the solid rock, while others are formed of 
masonry. Some of the chambers project over 
the deep valley, and seem to cling to the sides 
of the precipice like swallows' nests. The 
establishment is very extensive, and I am told 
some sixty or seventy monks reside here, far 
away from society, and, consequently, from all 
possibility of doing good. If this is not putting 
the light under a bushel, I know not what 



190 



Wonders of the East. 



would constitute that folly. ^Te were politely 
shown through the concern, and saw among 
other things an immense pile of human skulls, 
numbering some thousands, that have been ac- 
cumulating for thirteen hundred years. During 
the evening, we saw several jackals and a wolf, 
and were told by the monks that these animals 
were generally prowling around the convent 
through the nights, for the purpose of picking 
up whatever in the shape of food may have 
been thrown out during the day. 

Xext morning, about sunrise, we mounted 
our horses and resumed our journey. The hills, 
the valleys, the mountains, and the ravines, 
were very much like what we saw the day pre- 
vious, only, if possible, still more hideous and 
frightful. Never before had I gazed upon a 
scene presenting such wildness and sterility. 
For five long hours we rode up and down rough, 
rocky pathways, amid grim mountains and nar- 
row defiles, that at points seemed impassible. — 
For miles and miles there was not a village, not 
a house, not a tent, not a tree, not a bush, not 
a green spot to break the dismal monotony of 
utter desolation. The hills and mountains look 
as though they had been thrown together in 
terrible confusion, with the curse of God upon 
them, and there left to be bleached in the sun, 
and to be scathed by the lightnings of heaven. 

About noon we reached the shores of the 
Dead Sea, and after taking our dinner in a very 



The Dead Sea and the Jordan. 191 

primitive form, most of the party prepared for 
a swim. I had read so many stories about its 
dark, turbid waters, covered with slime, and its 
corrosive properties, and the clammy, prickling 
sensation that one experiences in going into it, 
that I approached it with some degree of hesita- 
tion. The wind was blowing fresh from the 
south, and although I had read that the surface 
of this lonely sea is never disturbed by winds, 
yet white-crested waves were breaking upon 
the clean, pebbled shore, in a very familiar 
form. Its waters certainly look very much as 
other waters look. Its appearance is of a deep 
green hue, contrasting strangely with surround- 
ing scenery of barren cliffs, and rugged moun- 
tains. Its waters are also remarkably clear. 
Wading in, I found them even more buoyant 
than I had expected. It requires no effort to 
keep on the surface of the water; in fact it 
would be very difficult to get under. This, 
however, will not seem so strange when it is 
understood that in twelve pounds of this water 
there are three and a half pounds of minerals, 
consisting of two pounds of chloride of mag 
nesium, one pound of chloride of sodium (com 
mon salt), and half a pound of murate of lime, 
while the same quantity of ocean water contains 
less than half a pound of minerals, so that this 
contains seven times more minerals than does 
the ocean. Another peculiarity is, that while 
the water is very clear it nevertheless feels very 



192 



Wonders of the East. 



much like oil. I swam out quite a distance 
from the shore, and remained in some time. I 
felt no unpleasant effects whatever, from the 
water, except in getting some of it in my eyes ; 
it made them smart quite sharply. On tasting 
it I found it intensely salt, and also exceedingly 
bitter and biting. This remarkable sea is some 
forty-six miles long and ten wide, and its surface 
some thirteen hundred feet below the level of 
the Mediterranean, and then its waters as many 
more feet deep. Having finished our ablutions, 
and bottled some of the water, we mounted our 
horses and started northward over the plains of 
Jericho. About two hours' ride brought us to 
the banks of the Jordan, at the Greek ford. 

What a place for reflection and contempla- 
tion! The Jordan that I had so often read 
about, and of which I had so often thought and 
sung, was now rolling before me with its won- 
derful history ! I remembered that Jacob, on 
his return to his native land, passed over it with 
his staff in his hand. As this ford is opposite to 
old Jericho, it is believed to be the very place 
that Joshua and the Israelites, with the priest 
in front bearing the ark, crossed over dry-shod, 
the waters retreating at the presence of the ark. 
I also remembered that it was miraculously 
passed over by the prophets Elijah and Elisha, 
just on the eve of Elijah's translation. In its 
waters, Naaman the leper was healed. I re- 
membered, too, how the people once flocked here 



The Dead Sea and the Jordan. 193 

in crowds from " Jerusalem and Judea, and all 
the regions round about Jordan," both Phari- 
sees and Sadducees, to be baptized of John 
(Matt, iii : 5, 6) ; and that, more than this, here 
the Lord of life and glory was baptized, -when 
the Holy Ghost, in the form of a dove, de- 
scended upon Him, and there was heard from 
the upper regions a voice, saying : " This is my 
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 
Where is there another river that can boast of 
such hallowed associations ? What other river 
has become, to such an extent, a household 
word in all Christian lands? And yet it is not 
majestic. Its waters are rapid and turbid, and 
its channel narrow.* I could well understand 
the force of Naaman's reasoning, when he in- 
quired : " Are not the rivers of Damascus better 
than all the waters of Israel ?" I resolved, how- 
ever, to try the virtue of the waters of the Jor- 
dan in washing off the brine of the Dead Sea ; 
and not only went in, but, like Naaman, I 
dipped myself seven times, as did also two 
others of our party. 

A couple of hours' ride more, over the barren 
plains of Jericho, brought us to the village 

* I have seen a statement, somewhere, that the Jordan 
was not over eighty feet wide at this ford. Now, I am 
sure that this is a mistake. I should think it all of one 
hundred and fifty feet wide. Of the seven of our party 
who attempted to throw a stone across to the opposite 
bank, only three succeeded. 



i 9 4 



Wonders of the East. 



Biha, where we encamped for the night. This 
miserable collection of Arab huts is supposed to 
occupy the site of old Gilgal, where the chil- 
dren of Israel first encamped after crossing the 
Jordan, and where they set up the twelve stones 
as a memorial, which they took from the bed of 
the river. Here the tabernacle was set up, and 
here it remained until it was removed to Shiloh. 
Here Joshua saw the man " standing over 
against him," who declared that he had come 
" as captain of the host of the Lord " (Josh, v : 
13, 14). Here Saul was made king, and here 
he subsequently forfeited his kingdom (1 Sam, 
xi : 15; xiii : 7—14). Here, when David had 
fled from Absalom, the tribe of Judah assent 
bled to welcome back their king from exile 
(2 Sam. xix : 15). Here Elisha neutralized the 
poison in the pot (2 Kings iv : 38-41). These 
are but a few of the many stirring scenes and 
remarkable events that are linked with this re- 
nowned locality. But, alas how changed !— 
not only Gilgal, but the entire plain of Jericho ! 
Once it was like a garden ; now it is encrusted 
with salt, nitre, and sulphur, and utterly barren, 
save near some brook whose waters have washed 
away these destructive substances. As I looked 
across to the mountains of Moab, on the other 
side of Jordan, where Moses stood and looked 
from Pisgah's peak upon this then fertile plain, 
and the adjacent hills and mountains, then all 
covered with verdure, I could not but feel> as 



The Dead Sea and the Jordan, 195 

well as see, that the curse of God now rested 
upon this land. 

The next morning, a half hour's ride brought 
us to the site of old Jericho. Its situation is 
very fine. A short distance to the west are the 
mountains of Judea. To the east stretch out 
the extensive plains of the Jordan, with the 
Dead Sea full in view. Across the Jordan, at 
no great distance, rise the mountains of Moab 
like an immense dark wall, forming the back- 
ground to the picture. I could not but think 
how the inhabitants of Jericho must have been 
surprised ^hen they saw the hundreds of thou- 
sands of Israel emerging from the Jordan, some 
six miles away, coming up and spreading over 
this vast plain — for as the site of the city is 
somewhat elevated, they must have been in full 
view. How its inhabitants must have been ex- 
cited ! "What speculations were then indulged 
as to the object and probable success of this 
strange multitude! They undoubtedly, how- 
ever, immediately prepared for a siege. Their 
gates were closed and barred ; but the Israelites 
were soon before them. But how strange must 
their proceedings have appeared to the besieged, 
as day after day they marched around the city, 
simply blowing their trumpets ! How consum- 
mately foolish and silly must they have regarded 
this, to them, ridiculous farce! But on the 
seventh day, when their walls began to rend 
and topple as though upheaved by an earth- 



196 



Wonders of the East. 



quake, their amusement must have suddenly 
turned to utter consternation. The city thus 
made defenceless was taken and destroyed. It 
was afterwards rebuilt, and a school of the 
prophets was established here. (2 Kings ii : 4, 5). 
Its subsequent history, however, is involved in 
obscurity. But little is known respecting it, 
except that in process of time it was also de- 
stroyed. 

On its site nothing now is to be seen but 
stones strewn over the ground and mounds of 
earth mixed with broken pieces of pottery, save 
the universal thorn and scattering weeds. Just 
at the eastern edge of these mounds is the cele- 
brated fountain of Elisha, the waters of which 
he healed of their bitterness by casting in salt 
(2 Kings ii : 21). This fountain fixes beyond 
a peradventure the site of ancient Jericho. Its 
waters come bubbling up out of the ground in 
sufficient quantity to drive a mill. I never saw 
a finer fountain in my life. I drank of its 
waters, and found them slightly tepid, but 
otherwise very sweet and pleasant. 

Jericho was again rebuilt, but not exactly 
upon the same site. This third Jericho, as we 
may call it, was situated a mile or two further 
south, on the banks of the brook Cherith, or 
Kelt, as it is sometimes called. Herod the Great 
adorned it with many fine buildings, so that in 
the time of Christ it was a city of great impor- 
tance. Our Saviour often visited this place. 



The Dead Sea a?id the Jordan. 197 

Here he met with blind Bartimeus and restored 
him to sight. Here Zaccheus the tax-gatherer 
lived, who, when Jesus passed along through 
one of their streets, attended by an immense 
multitude, climbed up into a sycamore tree that 
he might see Him. Jesus, as he passed beneath 
the tree, looked up and said unto him, "Zac- 
cheus, make haste and come down, for I must 
abide in thy house," and from that day he 
became his disciple. (Luke xix : 1-10.) This 
city, however, was finally overthrown by the 
Mahommedans, so that in the seventh century 
it was a w r aste of ruins without an inhabitant, 
and so remains to this day. Here is also, as 
already stated, the famous brook Cherith, where 
Elijah was directed to hide himself, and where 
he was miraculously fed by ravens. (1 Kings, 
xvii : 3-7). Here is also to be seen the remains 
of an old aqueduct, that once conveyed the 
water from the hill-side springs and fountains to 
the city. Its crumbling piers and arches are, 
however, fast yielding to the hand of time. 
Here, a little to the east, are the remains of an 
ancient reservoir of large dimensions, it being 
no less than four hundred and ninety feet broad, 
and six hundred and fifty-seven feet long. It 
is now very much filled up, so that the upper 
part of the walls only are to be seen. 

Just west of these ruins, is pointed out the 
place where our Saviour, immediately after his 
baptism, was led by the Spirit into the wilder- 



198 Wonders of the East, 

ness, and where he fasted forty days and nights, 
and was tempted by the devil. (Luke iv : 1-8.) 
Here was also the scene of John the Baptist's 
ministration, as he preached " Repent ye, for 
the kingdom of heaven is at hand," etc. 

Having finished our inspection of Jericho 
and its surroundings, we commenced our ascent 
toward Jerusalem. On gaining the top of the 
mountain range we had a fine view of the 
Jordan valley, the Dead Sea, and beyond the 
Jordan, the long and regular mountains of 
Moab, and Pisgah, on which Nebo is located, 
from the summit of which Moses viewed the 
promised land. There was so much of up hill 
work as we advanced, that we saw the force of 
our Lord's expression : " A certain man went 
down from Jerusalem to Jericho, etc." I could 
not help but think, as I rode along, how often 
the Saviour had passed along this same road 
when he was here on earth ! I love exceedingly 
to linger by those places that his feet have 
made forever sacred. 

At noon we stopped and lunched at the ruins 
of an ancient inn, supposed to be the one to 
which Jesus refers in his parable of the good 
Samaritan. (Luke x : 30-35.) This is the 
only appearance of there ever having been a 
house between Jericho and Bethpage, a distance 
of near twenty miles. The road retains much 
of the character now that it did at that period, 
It is still considered one of the most dangerous 



Jerusalem. 



199 



roads in all Palestine, on account of thieves 
and robbers. Besides the road is rough in the 
extreme. A Russian lady, however, has recent- 
ly given about three thousand dollars for its 
improvement, and gangs of workmen have 
already commenced operations, so that hereafter 
travelers will not be in as much danger of 
breaking their necks as heretofore. 

After our repast was over we mounted our 
horses, and after riding for some two hours or 
more, over a most wretched road of rocks and 
loose stones, and mostly up hill, and at points 
very steep, we arrived back to Jerusalem, 



LETTER XXI. 

JERUSALEM. — ITS HISTORY AND TOPOGRAPHY. 

Jerusalem. — Its History and Tocography. — 
Origin Unknown. — Very Ancient. — Captured 
by David. — Stormed by Shishah. — By Nebu- 
chadnezzer. — By Titus. — Its Topography. — 
Mount Zion. — Moria. — Bezetha. — Akra. — ■ 
Tyropean Valley. — Gihon Valley. 

IT may not be amiss, in this connection, to 
give a brief synopsis of the leading events 
that have marked the past history of this re- 



200 



Wonders of the East. 



uowned metropolis. Jerusalem has a story 
and a record, that, for importance in view of 
their character and their far-reaching influences 
upon society, are perhaps unsurpassed by those 
of any other city on the globe. Its origin, 
however, is a mystery. ^Vhen or by whom it 
was founded is unknown. It was the residence 
of Melchisedec, who was its king and priest in 
the days of Abraham, which would make it at 
least more than three thousand and eight hun- 
dred years old. What sieges, assaults, and revo- 
lutions it experienced previous to the settlement 
of the Israelites in this land, we know not. It 
was at that time undoubtedly the most opulent 
and powerful city in the whole land of Canaan. 
As an evidence of its great strength, it was not 
captured by the Israelites until in the eighth 
year of David's reign, who thereupon imme- 
diately made it his capital by removing the 
seat of empire from Hebron to this place. 
Prom this period our general knowledge of 
Jerusalem is to be dated. King David both 
enlarged and strengthened it. It continued to 
increase in population, wealth and power, until 
in and during the reign of Solomon, it is sup- 
posed to have reached the zenith of its glory. 

Under the reign, however, of Eehoboam, 
in ': 4 73 b. c, Shishak. king of Egypt, came up 
against Jerusalem with an immense army, laid 
siege to it and finally took it by storm, and 
robbed it of a large quantity of gold and silver, 



Jerusalem, 



201 



and carried away among the rich spoils, the 
gold and silver vessels of the temple. (2 
Chronicles xii : 2-9.) This, in connection with 
the revolt of the ten tribes, and the following 
wars that ensued, in which Jerusalem was 
often the scene of strife and bloodshed, but es- 
pecially its conquest by Jehoash, king of Israel, 
who laid a part of it in ruins, despoiled it of its 
former grandeur and glory. The reverses how- 
ever, although important in themselves were as 
nothing when compared with what it suffered 
in the conquest of Nebuchadnezzar, king of 
Babylon, who laid siege to it six hundred years 
b. c. For three long years the desperate strug- 
gle was continued between the besieged and the 
besiegers, with unabating fury. But the in- 
vaders at length triumphed. The city was cap- 
tured by storm. The horrible scenes that fol- 
lowed, as related by the historian, are enough 
to make the blood to curdle in the veins. The 
inhabitants were butchered by the brutal sol- 
diery without any distinction of age or sex. 
The streets ran down with blood. The most 
magnificent monuments of the city were utterly 
destroyed. Its costly palaces and splendid 
temple, its chief glory, were burned with fire. 
Its walls were razed to the ground. The city 
was plundered of all its treasures, while thou- 
sands of its inhabitants, who escaped the massa- 
cre, were carried off in captivity to Babylon, 
leaving the city in ruins. 



202 



Wonders of the East. 



At the end of seventy years they were per- 
mitted to return, and they at once commenced 
to rebuild the city. The walls were reconstruct- 
ed — a second temple was erected — the wealth 
and population of the city continued to increase 
until it again became populous, rich, strong, 
and stately ; so that in the time of Christ it 
perhaps nearly equaled its glory in the reign of 
Solomon. 

According to the prediction of our Saviour, 
however, it was destined to be again captured, 
plundered, and laid waste, by its relentless foes. 
Accordingly in the year a. d. 67, a Roman 
army under Titus laid siege to the city. The 
horrors of that siege, which has, perhaps, no 
parallel in the annals of history for suffering and 
slaughter, have been vividly portrayed by Jose- 
phus. While the Roman army was pushing 
forward with resolution and vigor their opera- 
tions upon every side without, the famine and 
pestilence were doing their terrible work within, 
and so effectuallv, that the Romans needed onlv 
to have waited, when resistance would have 
ceased, and on entering the city they would 
have found it but a tomb of its people. The 
city, however, was ultimately stormed and cap- 
tured. An indiscriminate slaughter of the in- 
habitants followed — the carnage was awful — 
the blood flowed in torrents on every side. The 
pleadings for mercy, and cries and tears were 
alike unavailing ; nor was the sword sheathed 



Jerusalem. 



203 



until the enormous number of more than a 
million of the Jews had perished in the siege, 
and the slaughter that followed the capture. — 
A great part of its walls and towers were leveled 
with the ground, its temple again burned with 
fire by a triumphant soldiery, whose pathway 
was everywhere marked with fire, ruin and 
slaughter. As these historical facts came up 
before my mind while gazing upon its present 
walls, towers, minarets, and domes, I could not 
help thinking of the terrible crime and impreca- 
tion of the Jews, when seeking the death of the 
Lord of life and glory before Pontius Pilate, 
" His blood be on us and on our children. 55 — 
And according to that awful ; prayer, and the 
prophecy of our Lord, their destruction speedily 
came as a mighty whirlwind that overturned 
the very foundations of their civil polity, and 
scattered them among all nations. 

In a. d. 636, Jerusalem was again besieged, 
and became the center of fierce and desperate 
encounters between opposing forces. A Moslem 
army, under the Caliph Omar, encompassed the 
city on every side. After many vain attempts 
of the inhabitants to break through the lines 
of their assailants, and raise the siege, during 
which many bloody conflicts were waged with 
desperate fury, the city was captured, and 
Mohammedanism triumphed. The religion of 
the false prophet was established, and on Mount 
Moriah, on the very site of the ancient temple 



204 



Wonders of the East. 



built by Solomon, was erected the mosque of 
Omar. Since that period, sanguinary wars have 
been waged between Christian and Mohamme- 
dan forces, in which sometimes victory favored 
one side, and sometimes the other, but in which 
Jerusalem was always the sufferer. But for 
more than six hundred years past, the Turks 
have held undisputed possession of this coveted' 
city. Such are the outlines of some of the more 
prominent events that have occurred within and 
around these walls. 

The site of Jerusalem is very peculiar. Al- 
though situated on the top of the mountainous 
ridge that lies near midway between the Medi- 
terranean and the valley of the Jordan, at an 
elevation of two thousand four hundred and 
eighty feet above the level of the former, and 
over three thousand seven hundred feet above 
the latter, it is, nevertheless, surrounded by still 
higher elevations, which brought to my mind ? 
very impressively, the words of David : " As the 
mountains are round about Jerusalem, so is the 
Lord around about his people." Besides, the 
formation of the ground, or the surface upon 
which the city is built, is very irregular. There 
are four hills that constitute its leading features. 
These are known as Mount Zion, Moriah, Beze- 
tha, and Akra, which are separated from each 
other by valleys or depressions, that are easily 
traced from any elevated position that overlooks 
the city. The principal one of these is the 



Jerusalem. 



205 



Tyropean valley, known by the unpoetic name 
of the valley of the Cheesemongers. This com 
mences near the northern wall, and runs, in a 
southerly direction, through the city, deepening 
gradually as it advances, and dividing it into 
nearly two equal parts. The western portion is 
the highest, and constitutes what Josephus calls 
the upper city, as the eastern one does the lower. 
At the southern end of the city, on the western 
side, is Mount Zion; On the eastern side is 
Mount Mori ah, upon which Solomon's Temple 
stood. The former is more than one hundred 
feet higher than the latter. On Mount Zion 
was located the palace of David, and the royal 
residence of his successors. Here, too, was the 
celebrated fortress of David, a part of which is 
the renowned tower of Hippicus, which was, 
perhaps, one of the strongest fortresses known, 
and was justly regarded by David as impreg. 
nable. Hence he regarded these works with 
particular satisfaction, and on one occasion ex- 
claims, " Walk about Zion, and go round about 
her ; tell (count) the towers thereof ; mark ye 
well her bulwarks and consider her palaces.'' — 
The position was also regarded by him as being 
particularly fortunate, as is evident from the 
following: "Beautiful for situation ; the joy of 
the whole earth, is Mount Zion." Here are also 
pointed out the tombs of David and Solomon 
and St. James. Over the latter is erected a 
church. Near by is pointed out the spot where 



206 



Wonders of the East, 



stood the house in which our Lord celebrated, 
with his disciples, the last supper. 

Across the Tyropean Valley, on the east side, 
a little north, is Mount Mori ah, crowned, at 
present, with the Mosque of Omar, as before 
stated. The Tyropean Valley is known to have 
been, in the days of Solomon, much deeper than 
at present. Anciently a stone bridge, built 
upon arches, spanned this valley, connecting 
Mount Zion and Mount Moriah. This structure 
is supposed to have been the work of Solomon. 
One of these arches was first discovered by 
Wilson, and is now known as Wilson's arch. — 
The extensive excavations that have been made 
at this point, show that in this place the Tyro- 
pean Valley has been filled up, so that its surface 
is some eighty-five feet above where it originally 
was. North of this, in the north-east corner of 
Jerusalem, is the hill Bezetha, where was 
located the palace of St. Helena, and on the 
side of which stands a church that marks the 
spot where, according to tradition," our Saviour 
underwent the punishment of scourging. West 
of Bezetha, and north of Zion, is the hill Akra, 
on which is located the celebrated pool of Heze- 
kiah, which is still filled with water, of which I 
had a fine view from the roof of the Mediter- 
ranean Hotel. But what is of much greater 
importance, on this hill (that is now inside of the 
city wall), is located the scene of Calvary — the 
place of the crucifixion ; and also the sepulchre. 



Jerusalem. 



207 



The city itself stands between two valleys, 
which, from their configuration, nearly surround 
it on all sides. On its east is the valley of the 
Kedron, which, in its course, sweeps partly 
around the northern part of the city, from the 
northwest, bending more to the south, and 
rapidly deepening, as it advances. On reach- 
ing the point where it separates the city 
from Mount Olivet, it takes the name of Jehoso- 
phat, and from thence passing onward, resum- 
ing the name of the Kedron, just beyond the 
southern limits of the city. 

On the west side near its northern boundary, 
begins the valley of the Gihon, which, opposite 
the Jaffa gate, takes a southerly course ; also 
deepening as it advances, it soon reaches the 
lower pool of Gihon, below which it takes the 
name of the Valley of Hinnom. As it advances 
still onward, it at length sweeps round to an 
easterly direction, thereby forming the southern 
boundary to the ancient city, with a depth of 
more than one hundred and fifty feet below the 
brow of Zion. Just below the south-east corner 
of the city, it intersects the Kedron. Originally 
this valley was, undoubtedly, much deeper than 
it is now. Then, from its sides rose steep and 
rocky precipices. But owing to the immense 
amount of debris on the side next to the city, 
that has been tumbled down, the descent is 
now smooth, although steep, the rocks being 
entirely covered up. This part of this valley is 



208 



Wonders of the East. 



the Tophet of the Old Testament, and the 
Gehenna of the New. Here, at one time, the 
Israelites sacrificed their children to Moloch, in 
consequence of which, it was afterwards re- 
garded as a place of abomination. The valley 
of Jehosophat, into which this empties, is much 
deeper. It was the great depth of these valleys 
that so nearly encompassed Jerusalem, in con- 
nection with its massive walls and towers, that 
made it, in former ages, one of the best fortified 
cities in all the east. 



LETTER XXII. 

JERUSALEM AS IT NOW IS. 

Jerusalem as it now is. — Its Walls. — Houses. — 
Streets. — Lamps. — Population. — Classes and 
Sects. — Public Buildings. — Tower of Hip- 
picus. 

I THINK that no one can gaze upon the 
present city without being struck with the 
great contrast between what it is now and what 
it was eighteen hundred years ago, as described 
by Josephus. Then it was grand and populous. 
But the surging billows of past ages and the 
sword of the conqueror have despoiled it of its 



Jerusalem. 



209 



glory, and for near two thousand years, it has 
been trodden down of the Gentiles. She that 
once sat as a queen among the tribes of Israel, 
now sitteth solitary, " reft of her sons and mid 
her foes forlorn." 

The city is quite irregular in shape. The 
walls do not rest upon the same foundations 
they did in the time of Christ. Then the outer 
wall was about four miles in extent. Now it is 
but a little over two miles and a half. The 
present southern wall is much farther north 
than anciently. It now extends directly across 
Mount Moriah, or Ophel and Mount Zion, leav- 
ing outside more than a hundred acres that 
were once within the city. The wall has a 
massive and formidable appearance, being from 
ten to fifteen feet in thickness at the bottom, and 
from twenty to sixty feet high ; its height vary- 
ing at different points to suit the character of 
the ground. On the north and south it is quite 
crooked ; but on the east side it is nearly 
straight, while the western wall is also crooked- 
It is furnished with salient angles, and square 
towers, and also with battlements, and loopholes, 
for the use of fire-arms. There is a broad path- 
way on the top of the wall protected by breast- 
works which runs around its entire length. As 
I walked around the city upon this wall, the 
words of David, " Walk about Zion, tell the 
towers thereof, mark well her bulwarks," etc., 
had a significance and a pathos that I had never 



210 



Wonders of the East, 



felt before. These walls at present are pierced 
by five gateways ; the Damascus gate on the 
north, the Jaffa gate on the west, the Zion gate 
on the south, and the St. Stephen's gate on the 
east, and a gate leading down to Siloam. 

The present city is built upon the accumulated 
rubbish that lias been gathering for ages. The 
houses are peculiar in several respects. They 
are built of limestone, which is generally broken 
into squares and laid up in its undressed, rough 
state, except in a few cases among the rich. 
Although perhaps while most of the dwellings 
are three stories high, many of them are low 
and small, and not a few of them are in ruins. 
There are no windows in the lower stories facing 
the streets. Such windows as are elsewhere are 
invariably small, and in each case where they 
are lame enough to be entered by a burglar? 
they are barred with iron, which gives them a 
grim and gloomy appearance not unlike prisons' 
Besides, the windows are generally destitute of 
glass, that being a luxury enjoyed only by the 
rich. There are no numbers on the houses. — 
The roofs of the buildings are flat, the material 
being stone and supported by arches. I walked 
some distance upon the tops of houses, and was 
reminded of the ease with which, from this 
circumstance, the people could have obeyed the 
injunction of Christ, in the hour of danger: 
" Let him that is on the house-top not come 
down, but make haste to escape." There is a 



Jerusalem, 



211 



large amount of waste ground within the present 
walls that is merely strewed with ruins, while 
both in the south-east corner of the city and 
the south-west are several gardens under culti- 
vation. 

The streets, owing to the irregularity of the 
ground, which is broken into hills and valleys, 
are far from being level. You can follow no 
street any distance without going up-hill, or 
down-hill, or both. You every now and then 
encounter a flight of steps, running entirely 
across the street, which is made necessary by 
the steepness of the ascent or descent, as the 
case may be. At other points along the street, 
you meet with steps, with perhaps five or six 
feet of space between them. Besides, the streets 
are generally unpaved, except in the bazaars 
and markets ; and even these look as though 
they had been paved ages ago, and had never 
been repaired since. They are also crooked, 
having been originally laid out without appa- 
rently any reference to any plan whatever. In 
addition to this, they are very narrow — many 
of them being not over five and six feet wide ; 
while even the widest are not over from eight 
to fifteen feet. Sidewalks are out of the ques- 
tion. The centre of the street being the lowest, 
serves as a gutter for the water in time of rains. 
One thing struck me as singular, even among 
the many strange things that surrounded me in 
this peculiar city, namely, many of the houses 



212 



Wonders of the East, 



are built on arches that span the streets at some- 
what irregular intervals ; so that in many in- 
stances yon see an arch and a building above it, 
spanning the street, and then an opening* to 
admit the light to the street, and then another 
arch, and so on. These arches, in connection 
■with the narrowness of the streets, while they 
answer a good purpose in keeping out the sun 
in the heat of summer, at the same time make 
the streets dark and gloomy. This is especially 
the case after nightfall, as there are no lamps 
or lights of any kind to light up the streets and 
alleys by night; arid as all stores and shops are 
closed at sunset, and as there are no windows 
facing the street, through which lights might 
shine from dwellings, the streets are fearfully 
dark. All this, added to their unevenness and 
roughness, gives a remarkable emphasis to the 
words of Jesus: "If a man walk in the night, 
he stumbleth," etc. Nor is the case changed 
by transferring his steps from the city to the 
country ; as the roads of Palestine are the 
roughest of any roads that I have ever seen. 
Consequently, but few venture out after dark — 
especially in the city. Those who do are re- 
quired to carry a lamp or lantern, without 
which they are liable to be arrested as thieves. 
It is owing to this circumstance, this necessity 
of carrying a light, which was the same in the 
days of Christ as now, that gave rise to the fre- 
quent reference in the Scriptures to the carry- 



Jerusalem. 



213 



ing of lamps. Allow me, in this connection, to 
refer to the singular manner in which people 
carry their lamps in the streets. The lantern 
containing the light is attached to a cord, some 
two feet or more long. The upper end of this 
cord is held in the hand, so as to bring the lamp 
within four or five inches of the ground or pave- 
ment. By this arrangement, the pedestrian is 
not so much blinded by the light as he would 
be if it were carried higher; while, at the same 
time, it lights up his pathway much better. I 
have no doubt that it was to this practice that 
King David referred, when he said : " Thy 
word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto 
my path." 

Although there is a great variety of caste, 
color, and nationality, yet they may generally 
be divided into Jews, Mohammedans, and Chris- 
tians. These number somewhere in the neigh- 
borhood of the following figures, namely : Jews, 
nine thousand ; Mohammedans, eleven thou- 
sand ; and Christians, five thousand ; making a 
population of twenty five thousand. These 
sects in a great measure keep to themselves and 
occupy different portions of the city. The 
Christians live principally in the northwest 
corner. The Jewish quarters are located on the 
northeast slope of Zion. The Mohammedans 
occupy exclusively the northeast section of the 
city, while they spread more or less over the 
other portions. The officers and soldiers are 



214 



Wonders of the East. 



mostly Turkish foreigners. Of the Christian 
denominations, the Greek Church is the strong- 
est, and the Protestant the weakest. The Greek 
Church has one hundred and fifty priests, and 
the Latin Church one hundred, making two 
hundred and fifty, to a population of twenty- 
five thousand, or one priest to every one hun- 
dred of the inhabitants, counting children and 
all. There are five or six common schools and 
two Theological Seminaries. Yet, notwithstand- 
ing the number of ecclesiastics and religious 
institutions, there is an amount of degradation 
among the people that is truly sad. This is 
owing to the fact that their energies are directed 
toward mere forms of worship instead of the 
spiritual. Poverty and squalid wretchedness 
meet you in every street. This, in connection 
with its uneven, crooked, narrow and filthy 
streets, impress the traveler unfavorably. 

And yet, the city viewed externally has a 
stately appearance. This is partly owing to its 
massive walls of hewn stone, which are sur- 
mounted with battlements and towers ; and 
partly to its beautiful mosaic domes, and scores 
of graceful minarets, that lift their slender 
forms aboye the city; while a thousand low 
round cupolas of Byzantine form, rise in every 
direction, from the flat roofs of dwellings, break- 
ing the outlines of the roofing into lines of 
beauty. In addition to all this, its elevated 
position, as its walls rise up from the brow of 



Jerusalem. 



21$ 



deep ravines, on either side, give it the appear- 
ance of oriental grandeur. 

Besides, there is not, perhaps, another city to 
be found where the proportion of public build- 
ings to the population is so large as in Jerusa- 
lem. There is the Patriarchal palace; the 
Armenian hospital ; Prussian Hospice ; Eng- 
lish hospital ; Armenian convent ; Greek con- 
vent ; Syrian convent ; convent of Gethsemane ; 
convent of St. John the Baptist ; con vent of 
Oonstantine; convent of St. Theodore; Cosa- 
nova convent ; Copts convent ; Franciscan con- 
vent ; besides two or three nunneries ; between 
twenty and twenty-five churches ; a large num- 
ber of mosques, etc., etc. 

Tower of Hippicus. — One of the interesting- 
landmarks of the present city is the " Tower of 
Hippicus " or " Tower of David," as it is some- 
times called. It stands near the Jaffa gate and 
is justly noted for its great strength and an- 
tiquity. It is thought by some to date back to 
the time of David, under whom it was erected. 
At all events there is but little doubt that it 
stood here in the time of Christ, and when the 
Romans conquered the city under Titus, it was 
one of the towers spared by that general, as a 
memorial of the great strength of the city. 
As might be expected, it looks venerable with 
age. It is about forty feet high, and is protect- 



2l6 



Wonders of the East. 



ed bv a fosse. The stones in the lower part es- 
pecially are large, being from ten to twelve feet 
long, and four feet thick. 



LETTER XXIII. 



HOLY PLACES IN JERUSALEM. 



The Via Dolorosa. — The Sepulchre.-* — Its Deco- 
rations. — The Sepulchre not as 1 expected. — 
Ccdvary. — The Crucifixion. 

HPHERE are not over three streets that have 



-L names, except such as were given them 
by the Crusaders, or which have been given 
them by modern travelers. The most noted of 
these is the street called the " Via Dolorosa" 
or the 16 sorrowful way." This extends from 
the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in an easterly 
direction towards the St. Stephen's gate, and is 
marked by the most tender memorials of the 
Saviour's suffering in the closing drama of his 
life. X o other street perhaps in the world is 
regarded so sacred as this, as it is believed that 
Jesus passed along through it on His way to 
Calvary, the place of His execution. At its 
lower end, near the pool of Bethesda, is pointed 
out the site of the old Judgment Hall of Pilate, 




Jerusalem. 



217 



now occupied by the house of the Fasha or 
Governor of Jerusalem. Immediately opposite 
this, is an old weather-beaten arch spanning the 
street called the "Ecce Homo Arch." It is af- 
firmed that after Pilate's examination of Jesus, 
he brought Him out, and here set Him before 
the multitude and said : u Behold the man !" 
A flight of stone steps originally led from near 
this arch to Pilate's Hall, over which our 
Saviour is said to have passed on that occasion. 
These are gone, and it is claimed that they were 
removed to Rome in the reign of Constantine, 
and that they are now covered by the Bascillica 
of St. John Lateran, and are known as the 
" Scala Santa" (sacred stairs.) When at Borne 
I saw the superstitious devotees of Popery pass- 
ing up these steps on their knees, kissing them 
at the same time. 

A short distance from the above arch stands 
the "Church of Flagellation," where it is 
believed the Lord of life and glory was scourged 
and crowned with thorns. Near by is shown 
the place where the Cross was laid upon Him. 
A little further on, in the direction of Calvary, 
tradition locates the place where, from suffering 
and loss of blood, He fainted and fell down 
beneath the Cross, when it was taken up, and 
laid on Simon the Cyrenian, who was compelled 
to bear it. Still further on is marked the place 
where He met Mary His mother, who from 
that point accompanied Him the rest of the 



218 Wonders of the East. 



way to Calvary. A short distance from where 
Mary met Him, is shown the site of the dwell- 
ing of St. Veronica, the woman who, seeing the 
face of Jesus covered with blood, as He was 
passing, that was trickling down from His 
thorn ed-pierced brow, pressed forward and gave 
Him a napkin, upon which He left the impress 
of His features in blood. Still passing on, and 
up the gentle ascent to Calvary, we came to the 
spot where we were told a crowd of women 
stood weeping for Him, to whom Jesus said, 
46 Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but 
weep for yourselves and your children." A 
few steps from this point brings you to the 
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which tradition 
has also marked as the place where our Lord 
was nailed to the Cross, and where He was 
made an offering for the sins of the world. 
This street, like the streets in general, is narrow 
and crooked, flanked with gloomy buildings 
that seemed to be in keeping with the solemn 
associations pointed out to me by the way. 
The entire distance from Pilate's Judgment 
Hall to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, in 
which all the above interesting events occurred, 
is about eight hundred paces or nearly a half 
mile. 

As to this being the identical street through 
which our Saviour passed on that terrible morn- 
ing that witnessed the closing scene of His hu- 
miliation and suffering, in which He trod the 



Jerusalem. 



219 



wine-press alone, and when the burden of a 
world's atonement lay upon Him, I suppose 
different persons will entertain different opinions. 
I see no valid reason myself for rejecting the 
tradition that declares our Lord to have passed 
up the Via Dolorosa. He certainly passed 
through some street, and if the place of the 
Church of the Holy Sepulchre be the place of 
His crucifixion and burial, this street, it seems 
to me, would be the most direct. 

As to the correctness of the tradition that 
locates the various events that occurred along 
the waVj and which has baptized them as sacred 
places, I have not a particle of confidence in 
them. In fact I felt that the deep and solemn 
impressions that I wished to cherish, as I con- 
templated this awful period of our Saviour's 
insult and agony, were rather disturbed and 
dissipated by such apparent trifling as these 
legendary traditions seemed to show. Not that 
I doubted for a moment that the events nar- 
rated by the evangelists took place. But while 
this is settled by the word of inspiration, there 
is not a syllable about the distances or locations, 
save the naming of Pilate's Hall and Cal vary. 
How do they know, or how can any mortal tell 
whereabouts any one thing occurred between 
the two places above named ? 

The Sepulchre. — On my arrival at Jerusa- 
lem I hastened first to the Church of the Holy 



220 



Wonders of the East. 



Sepulchre, as the most interesting spot in or 
around the city. I also gave an account of 
what I saw on that occasion. Having now been 
here for near a week, during which time I have 
visited the sepulchre on different occasions 
more leisurely, and, consequently, with better 
opportunities for observation and inspection, I 
propose to lay before the reader some additional 
facts of interest in relation to this wonderful 
place. 

On entering the church, the first thing that 
presents itself before you is the stone of unction, 
a marble slab, where it is affirmed that our 
Saviour, after being taken down from the Cross, 
was embalmed by Joseph and Klcodemus. A 
short distance from this, under the great dome 
as before stated, is the Holy Sepulchre. A 
small building some twenty five feet long and 
fifteen broad covers the spot. This is built of 
white and yellow marble, and is surmounted by 
a dome in the form of a crown, so that you 
have this small church inside of the large one. 
It is highly ornamented, the exterior or outside 
being nearly covered with crucifixes and images, 
and surrounded with enormous candles eight or 
ten feet high, and proportionably large in 
diameter. 

On approaching the sepulchre, you first enter 
a sort of ante-room, which is perhaps some eight 
feet square and about seven feet high. This is 
called the chapel of the angel, as it is claimed 



Jerusalem, 



221 



that the angel sat upon the stone which he 
rolled from the mouth of the sepulchre at this 
point. In the centre of the room is a square 
block of marble, said to be the identical one. 
The Armenian monks, however, deny that this 
is the stone that was thus honored, while they 
claim that they have the genuine one on Mount 
Zion. I presume their claim is entitled to as 
much respect as the Latin's, and perhaps no 
more. 

On the opposite side of this room is a low 
narrow doorway leading to the second. Yon 
pass through this by stooping down, and then 
you stand within the sacred enclosure — the sep- 
ulchre of Jesus — the Christian's holy of holies ; 
where tens of thousands, nay, hundreds of thou- 
sands have knelt, and prayed, and w r ept. The 
room is nearly of the same dimensions as the 
other. Some forty gold and silver lamps sus- 
pended from the ceiling are burning night and 
day, while incense floats upon the air. This 
profusion of art, however, did not interest me. 
It rather, in this connection, distressed me than 
otherwise. It was not the display of costly 
ornamentations and artistic decorations that I 
wished to see, but the place where our Lord lay, 
as it then was. In this, however, I felt disap- 
pointed. It does not in my opinion answer the 
description given by the evangelists. It is there 
stated that the tomb was hewn out of a rock, 
and that when Peter and John came to it, to 



222 



Wonders of the East. 



see if the report of Mary Magdalene were 
really true that the body of Jesus was gone, 
they stooped down and looked in previous to 
entering. This would indicate that the tomb 
was in the side of a hill, and that its walls were 
the native rock. How it was originally inside 
we are not informed. As you enter the room, 
as it now is, on the right is the sepulchre itself. 
This consists of a sort of sarcophagus of white 
marble, or at least it is incased with marble, the 
top of which is some two feet above the level of 
the floor of the tomb. 

Now admitting this to be the original sepul- 
chre, it is quite evident to my mind, that it 
has been very much changed in its appearance 
since the crucifixion. It certainly has been cut 
or leveled down in some way, at some time, 
perhaps in the days of Consfcantine ; or its 
upper part may have been destroyed by the in- 
tense heat to which it was subjected when the 
church erected over it by Oonstantine was 
burned in a. d. 614, piling its burning timbers 
on the sepulchre. Besides the above change, 
the original rock is now covered over with 
polished marble on every side, and its walls 
hung with pictures and crucifixes. I consider 
all this in very bad taste, to say the least of it, 
and it is well calculated to cast an air of suspi- 
cion and doubt over the whole affair. Origi- 
nally the sepulchre was undoubtedly outside the 
city walls and within a garden. Now the place 



Jerusalem. 



223 



so revered by so many thousands as the tomb 
where Jesus lay, is some distance within the 
present city wall, and surrounded within a com- 
pactly built portion of the city ; while around 
and over the tomb rises the walls and dome of 
a colossal church edifice, as before stated. As 
I gazed upon the surroundings of this wonderful 
location, and contrasted what I saw with the 
scriptural account, I felt to adopt the plaintive 
lines of the poet : 

Oh ! for that garden in its simple guise, 

Where she the earliest of his mourners came , 

Came ere the stars of Syria's cloudless skies 
Grew pale before their morning burst of flame. 

Oh ! if the lichen now were free to twine 

O^r the dark entrance of that rock hewn cell, 

Say, should we miss the gold-encrusted shrine, 
Or incense fumes' intoxicating spell ? 

There are but few travelers, I presume, who 
have not felt perplexed and disappointed in 
visiting sacred places, to find that the misguided 
zeal of former generations has, in many cases, 
led them to make changes for the purpose of 
beautifying with ornamentation that has well 
nigh destroyed the form, or the essential features 
of the original. 

Calvary. — Within the walls of the Church of 
the Holy Sepulchre, and about one hundred and 
twenty-five feet from the tomb, is also pointed 
out the place where stood the Cross. The eleva- 



224 Wonders of the East. 



tion of this part above the main floor of the 
building is considerable, and is reached by a 
flight of steps cut in the rock. There is also a 
platform at this point, about ten feet long and 
six broad, and some fifteen or eighteen inches 
high. Here is pointed out a round hole in the 
rock, which is cased with silver, as the veritable 
socket in which the Cross that bore our Saviour 
stood. The place is marked by a chapel, rich 
in costly decoration, that belongs to the Greeks. 
There are also two other holes, that are desig- 
nated as the ones where stood the crosses of the 
thieves. At a few feet distant is also pointed 
out a peculiar fissure in the rock, said to have 
been made at the time of the crucifixion, when 
the rocks were rent by the earthquake. The cleft 
is some five or six inches wide at the top, and 
apparently closes a short distance below, but is 
seen again in a chapel close by, and runs down 
to an unknown depth in the earth. As its in- 
tricate windings could not have been made by 
art, it is evident that it has been made by some 
convulsion of nature at some time or other ; and 
as at the crucifixion the rocks were rent, I see 
no reason for disbelieving this tradition so far as 
the fissure itself is concerned. 

I have not time to notice other locations of 
interest within this building, or to attempt to 
point out the absurd pretensions of locating the 
place where the Virgin Mary stood at the time 
of the crucifixion ; the place where the soldiers 



Jerusalem. 



225 



cast lots for His garments ; the spot where they 
nailed Him to the Cross; where Mary Magdalene 
stood. Of course we know that all these inci- 
dents had their location, but that any mortal 
can point out the exact places of these occur- 
rences, that were casual and insignificant in 
themselves, and at the time of the crucifixion 
could have had no place in the minds of those 
who witnessed that awful scene, is too absurd to 
be seriously entertained for a moment by any 
one who has not a sort of mania for holy places. 
And yet, after all, I felt that this was hallowed 
ground. I shall not attempt to describe the 
feelings that possessed my soul as I contem- 
plated, with these surroundings, the facts nar- 
rated by the evangelists in connection with the 
crucifixion. Suffice it to say, that I felt it was 
good to be here. The facts and details of the 
suffering of our Lord seemed to stand out 
before my mind with stronger lights and 
shades, with distincter outlines and more angu- 
lar forms. 

What a place for reflection and contempla- 
tion ! We gather from Holy Writ that about 
eight o'clock on Friday morning, Jesus was ar- 
raigned before Pontius Pilate, where He was, 
in violation of all forms of justice, condemned, 
scourged, insulted, crowned with thorns, mock- 
ed, and then led from here to Calvary to be 
crucified. Here He was nailed to the Cross 
about the third hour of the day, which answers 



226 



Wonders of the East. 



to our nine o'clock a.m. From this time until 
twelve o'clock, for three dreadful hours, He en- 
dured untold agony amid the jeers and taunts 
of an infuriated mob, who with hellish glee ex- 
claimed, "He saved others, himself he can not 
save ;" " If he be the King of Israel let him now 
come down from the Cross." From the sixth 
hour (noon) until the ninth hour (three p.m.) 
there was a strange supernatural darkness and 
gloom, during which time there was an earth- 
quake that rent the rocks. The curtain of the 
temple that separated the holy from the holy of 
holies, was torn asunder by an unseen hand. 
At the end of the ninth hour, Jesus exclaimed, 
" It is finished, and gave up the ghost." Shortly 
after Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate to beg 
the body of Jesus. A soldier was dispatched to 
see if He were really dead ; this being demon- 
strated, the body was surrendered. This, per- 
haps, occurred about five o'clock in the after- 
noon. The body was taken down by Joseph 
and lucodernus, perhaps assisted by others, 
and wrapped in linen with spices, and laid in 
Joseph's own new tomb, hewn out of a rock in 
his garden. At its entrance a great stone was 
placed. Immediately after this the women and 
all left on account of the nearness of the Sab- 
bath, which commenced at sunset, which, per- 
haps, had already arrived. From this time 
they rested until the morning of the first day of 
the week, when they were surprised to find Him 



The Sepulchre of Christ. 227 



risen. Now these are facts that cannot be gain- 
sayed, and with these surroundings I pondered 
upon them with untold interest. 



LETTER XXIV. 

IS THE SEPULCHRE NOW SHOWN THE TRUE 
SEPULCHRE OF CHRIST ? 

Is the Sepulchre now Shown the Irue Sepul- 
chre of Christ 1 — Difficulties in Settling the 
Question. — Testimony of the Evangelist.— 
Tradition. — What Enemies Did. — Quota- 
tions from Spencer, Williams, Ferguson, and 
Olin. 

THERE is, perhaps, not another single ques- 
tion connected with sacred locations in the 
Holy Land that has been made the subject of 
such sharp and acrimonious controversy between 
various writers, as the place of the sepulchre of 
Christ. While some can see no reason what- 
ever for believing that the Church of the Holy 
Sepulchre covers the spot where our Lord lay 
after His crucifixion, others equally candid and 
intelligent can see no reason at all for disbeliev- 
ing it; and I suppose that this difference of 
opinion will continue, in spite of anything that 
can be said, until some additional light is 



228 



Wonders of the East, 



thrown upon the subject by excavations in the 
neighborhood of the Church of the Holy Sepul- 
chre, determining the foundation, and conse- 
quently the location of the old wall, or evidences 
of this character. It is to be hoped that ere 
long this may be accomplished, and this much 
vexed question set at rest. Until something of 
this kind is done, we must be content with such 
evidences as the evangelists and tradition sup- 
ply. 

One of the great difficulties in coming to a 
proper conclusion iu reference to the sepulchre, 
as well as other sacred places in the Holy Land, 
is found in the fact that most persons enter upon 
the investigation with preconceived notions, or 
prejudices, that tend to color or distort whatever 
they see or hear on the subject. Even the 
minds of readers at a distance, in many in- 
stances, become influenced in receiving the tes- 
timony of travelers by a consideration of the 
theological type of mind of each writer, so that 
he is estimated as a witness according to his 
creed. ]STow all this is certainly a hindrance in 
coming to a knowledge of the truth. These 
things I have tried to avoid, and I hope I will 
not be charged with egotism when I say that 
while I have examined this question carefully 
in the light of all the facts at hand, I think I 
have done so with an unbiased mind. 

But to the question. Does the Church of the 
Holy Sepulchre cover the place where our Lord 



The Sepulchre of Christ. 229 



was crucified and burled, or does it not ? I 
have come to the conclusion that it does. I see 
no valid reason against this hypothesis. What 
the Scriptures say upon the subject that is cal- 
culated to throw any light on the question is as 
follows : " And He bearing His cross went forth 
into a place called the place of a skull, which is 
called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they cruci- 
fied Him ;" and that " the place where J esus 
was crucified was nigh to the city." Again : 
" Now in the place where He was crucified 
there was a garden, and in the garden a new 
sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid. 
There laid they Jesus, therefore, because of the 
Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was 
nigh at hand." Paul also says, " Wherefore, 
Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people 
with His own blood, suffered without the gate." 
Here we have the name of the place, and its 
relative position to the city. Golgotha, we are 
told, means the place of a skull; that is, the 
place where the skulls of executed criminals 
were to be seen, or a hill, the top of which re- 
sembled a skull. There is, however, nothing 
said by either evangelist about a hill of any 
kind in connection with the crucifixion. We 
only know from the above that He was crucified 
near the city, perhaps just outside the wall, and 
that the tomb was also nigh at hand, near the 
Gross. True, as urged by some, this site does 

not now agree in all respects with the account 
10 



230 



Wonders of the East. 



of the inspired record. That states that Christ 
suffered without the gates of the city, and that 
He was laid in a tomb in a garden. This, how- 
ever, of itself, proves nothing, as we know that 
during the past eighteen hundred years very 
great changes have taken place within and 
around this city. This has been especially the 
case in some of its captures, in which its walls 
have been broken down. In fact, in a recent 
publication, entitled " The Recovery of Jerusa- 
lem," edited by Dr. Stanley, of London, in 
which the results of the labors and researches of 
the Palestine Exploration Society are embodied, 
there is a map of Jerusalem, as it is supposed to 
have been in the days of Herod, in which the 
wall is marked out so as to leave the site of the 
Church of the Holy Sepulchre without the city. 
And yet I am free to acknowledge that the 
topographical difficulties in the way of this 
theory are so great that I should at once give it 
up were it not for other weightier reasons that 
can not be ignored. With these before the 
mind, if it be hard to believe the present sepul- 
chre to be the true one, it seems to me to be 
much harder to disbelieve it. Let us look at 
this question in the light of tradition. 

Tradition. — That the Christians who lived in 
Jerusalem at the time of the crucifixion knew 
where Jesus was crucified and buried, I think 
no one will for a moment dispute. Not only 



The Sepulchre of Christ. 231 



must they have known the spot as well as any 
other location in or about the city, but so must 
those converted on the day of Pentecost. They 
would not, they could not, lose sight of a place 
so closely connected with their faith and re- 
demption. It is true the city was soon after 
captured by the Romans under Titus, and partly 
destroyed. And, although the disciples of 
Christ fled the city on that occasion for a sea- 
son, they soon returned and dwelt among its 
ruins. No one certainly can imagine that they 
would forget Calvary and the tomb from which 
their Lord so triumphantly rose from the dead. 
To suppose this, would be to suppose that they 
were different from mankind generally, or that 
they acted contrary to every principle of human 
nature. So far from this, however, being the 
case, history informs us that the people of that 
age were especially given to materialism, and 
that, consequently, they were more inclined to 
reverence holy places than are the people of the 
present age. 

But we are told that from a.d. 117 to 138, a 
period of twenty-one years, the Emperor Had- 
rian not only banished the Christians, tens of 
thousands of whom he cruelly sold into slavery, 
but forbid them to visit or come near the holy 
city. He also took special pains to desecrate, 
and, as far as possible, to obliterate all sacred 
places, and especially Calvary and the sepul- 
chre of Christ. This is true, and it is also true 



232 



Wonders of the East. 



that he caused a mound of earth to be raised 
over the sepulchre, and perhaps the place of the 
crucifixion ; and that to further desecrate them, 
he erected over their sites the idol temples of 
Venus and Jupiter. 

Now, what did all this amount to, except to 
perpetuate a knowledge of these very places ? 
These acts of Hadrian certainly prove the fol- 
lowing facts : 1. That these places at that time 
were well known. 2. That the early Christians 
were in the habit of venerating them. 3. That 
the acts of the Emperor, instead of obliterating 
these sacred localities, served to mark and de- 
signate them in the most effectual manner. 
And although there were other persecutions 
under succeeding Eoman Emperors, and espe- 
cially under Diocletian, there is nothing to show 
that during those terrible ordeals of suffering by 
Christians, that there is any probability that the 
place of our Saviour's burial and resurrection 
should not have been known, or should have 
been forgotten. 

When Constantine ascended the throne in 
a. d. 306, a new era in the Christian Church 
was inaugurated. In 313 he espoused the cause 
of Christianity, and at once set about rescuing 
the holy places from the heathen profanation. 
For this purpose he wrote to itarcurious, then 
Bishop of Jerusalem, informing him that he was 
not only very desirous of freeing the holy sepul- 
chre of our Lord from all heathen idolatry, but 



The Sepulchre of Christ. 233 



also of adorning it with a Christian temple, that 
should serve as a memorial to perpetuate its 
memory. 

"There does not appear," says Dr. Spencer, 
" as Dr. Robinson and others represent it, any 
doubt either on the part of the bishop and clergy 
or of the Emperor, that this spot, covered by a 
large mound of earth, on the top of which was 
Venus' shrine, marked really and undoubtedly 
the holy sepulchre of our Lord. c The Empe 
ror's orders were — not that any inquiry should 
be instituted, not that any search should be 
made, but simply that the temple (of Venus) 
should be leveled with the ground, and the 
earth carried away. This was done, and the 
sepulchre came to light.' " 

Mr. Williams says, "Was it not a reasonable 
cause of amazement to those who witnessed it, 
that the pagans, when they sought to obliterate 
the memory of the spot, should have left the 
cave entire ; and that, notwithstanding so long 
concealment, it should come forth unharmed, 
presenting, as it were, a figure of its resurrection 
in its own recovery ?" 

" I believe," says Mr. Ferguson, " that the 
boundaries of property were well defined, and 
registers kept, describing every field and house, 
and more especially everything in the imme- 
diate proximity of the capital of a Roman 
colony, as Elia Capitolina (Jerusalem) was in 
the time of Constantine ; so that I do think it 



234 



Wonders of the East. 



more than probable that lie (the Emperor) pos- 
sessed the means of ascertaining the fact beyond 
all doubt." 

The Church of Constantine was dedicated in 
the presence of a large concourse of clergymen 
in a. d. 336, about three hundred years after the 
crucifixion, without a single objection, so far as 
is known, from any one, as to this being the 
identical spot, or sepulchre of Christ. As to the 
fact of its being inside of the walls of the city 
instead of outside, being made by some an in- 
surmountable objection, let it be borne in mind 
that the bishops or clergy of that day could read 
the New Testament as well as we, and yet they 
saw no difficulty in the way of its present loca- 
tion. If they had lost a knowledge of the place, 
and were unprincipled enough to resort to for- 
gery, why did they not locate it outside of the 
walls, so as to leave no apparent discrepancy 
between the scriptural account and its location ? 
But to my mind the very fact that they adhered 
to this place in spite of the difficulty that is now 
urged by many, goes very far towards placing 
the matter beyond all doubt. Besides, if the 
clergy of that day were wicked enough to resort 
to trickery and fraud, how could they have got 
everybody to fall in with the measure ? "When," 
asks Dr. Olin, " would be the period, or what 
the possible circumstances in which it would be 
practicable to begin to practice imposition or 
impose ignorance upon the thousands of Chris- 



Jerusalem, 



235 



tians born and reared in sight of Calvary, who 
would naturally and irresitiblybe led to venerate 
and visit the consecrated spot at every recital of 
the Redeemer's sufferings by parent or priest, 
and by every impulse of faith or gratitude in 
their own bosoms ?" 



LETTER XXV. 

Jerusalem— continued. 

Mount Moriah. — Temple Area. — Mosque of 
Omar. — Sacred Rock. — Excavations. — Solo- 
mon's Stables. — Sea Under the Temple. — 
The Jewish Place of Wailiny at the Base 
of the Temple Wall. — A Singular Document 
found in one of its Crevices. — Its Transla- 
tion. — Strange Revelations of Jewish Cus- 
toms. — An Old Aqueduct. — Fountain ofReze- 
Tciah. 

MOUNT MORI AH. — What a strange and 
marvelous history is connected with this 
sacred spot ! What thrilling events have tran- 
spired here ! What hallowed associations clus- 
ter around the mount of God ! In no age since 
the time of Solomon has there been a period 
but thousands of hearts and faces have been 
turned towards this hallowed place. No other 



236 Wonders of the East. 



hill or valley on earth has been so honored of 
God, or so reverenced by his people. Here 
Abraham proceeded to offer his son Isaac, and 
by that act has given us an example of surpris- 
ing faith and fortitude. Here stood the thresh- 
ing-floor of Oman, which David bought for 600 
shekels of gold ($4,854). And here also stood 
the Temple of Solomon, the grandest structure 
of the age. 

The Temple area must have been very dif- 
ferent originally in its natural state from what 
it is at present. The top of the hill has been 
mostly graded and leveled off; while, at the 
same time, massive walls from fifty to eighty 
feet high, were built up around its sides. This 
area has then been filled in so as to form a 
beautiful plateau, not perfectly level, but slop- 
ing gently down from the centre to the south, 
east, and north. 

On entering the enclosure I was forcibly 
struck with its great size. It is said to be about 
one thousand six hundred feet on the west, one 
thousand five hundred feet on the east, one 
thousand feet on the north, and nine hundred 
feet on the south end, thus enclosing an area of 
some thirty-five acres of ground. On this cen- 
tral eminence, that was once crowned with the 
Temple of Solomon, now stands the 

MosqrE of Omar. — This noble structure, 
which is said to rank, in point of sacredness, 



Jerusalem. 



237 



next to the Temple of Mecca, is somewhat sin- 
gular in form. The lower part is octagonal, 
and built of beautiful variegated marble. Each 
side is sixty-seven feet long, making the interior 
about one hundred and seventy feet in diameter, 
and is surrounded with marble columns, between 
which are numerous windows of stained glass. 
Through these a flood of mellow light comes 
streaming down on the floor within. Above 
this first story the walls become circular, form- 
ing a sort of rotunda. This terminates in a 
beautiful dome, sixty-six feet in diameter, and 
rising to the height of one hundred and seventy- 
five feet, and is covered with encaustic glazed 
tiles of various colors. The dome is crowned 
with a lofty bronze crescent, that adds much to 
its architectural beauty. From whatever side 
you approach the city, the Mosque of Omar is 
seen towering up as one of its leading features. 

Laying aside my boots, in obedience to the 
demands of officials, I was permitted to enter 
the interior. This I found very much in keep- 
ing with the exterior. Two rows of Corinthian 
columns, while they form beautiful corridors, 
together support the great dome above. The 
floor is marble, and the walls are decorated with 
gaily enameled tiles of various colors, while 
Arabic inscriptions are artistically arranged 
upon them in forms of beauty. 

The most interesting object, however, to me, 
within this sacred enclosure, is the Es Sakhrah 



2 3 8 



Wonders of the East. 



(sacred rock). This lies directly under the 
dome, and is about sixty feet long and fifty 
broad, and rises some seven feet above the floor. 
The rock is in its natural and undressed state, 
and bare, except that a silk awning stretches 
over it. It is also surrounded with an iron rail- 
ing, the top of which is gilded. In the south- 
east corner is an excavated chamber, to which 
you descend by a flight of stone steps. This 
chamber is irregular in form, about seven feet 
high, and contains an area of more than one 
hundred square feet. In the centre of this cave 
there is in the floor a circular slab of marble, 
which, being stamped upon, sounds hollow, 
showing that there is an opening beneath, where 
it is said there is a well, or shaft, terminating in 
a horizontal passage. 

This rock, which, without doubt, was enclosed 
in the court of Solomon's Temple, is supposed 
by many to be the one upon which Abraham 
prepared to offer his son Isaac, and that it is the 
" unhewn stone" on which the altar of the tem- 
ple was built ; and that as Oman, the Jebusite, 
in all probability, had his threshing floor beside 
this rock, that this cave was probably the place 
where he stored his grain, perhaps, to conceal it 
as did Gideon (Judges vi : 11) ; and in all pro- 
bability it was in this cave that " Oman and 
his four sons hid themselves" from the angel 
(Chron. xxi : 20). The well, or shaft, in the 
centre of the cave may have been prepared by 



Jerusalem. 



239 



Solomon as a sort of sink, into which the blood 
of the sacrifices drained. Be this as it maj r , I 
have no doubt that the Mosque of Omar stands 
upon the site of Solomon's Temple. And as I 
stood within its walls and gazed upon this rock 
and its surroundings, I could not help thinking 
of the fact, that here God's glory was especially 
manifested ; that here was the holy of holies ; 
that here was the ark ; and here, upon the 
mercy seat, between the cherubims, dwelt the 
august symbol of God's presence. But, alas, 
how changed ! The temple is gone, and accord- 
ing to the prediction of our Lord, not one stone 
has been left on the top of another. 

There are a large number of ridiculous and 
absurd legends that the Mohammedans have in 
relation to this rock, which my guide took very 
special pains to relate to me, as he pointed out 
the various places of interest. But they are not 
worth repeating. They only show the absurd 
credulity and superstition of the believers of 
Mohammedanism. 

A very deeply interesting subject to all Bib- 
lical archaeologists, and in fact to all Christians, 
is the important discoveries made in and around 
Jerusalem, but especially in the vicinity of 
Mount Moriah, by the " Palestine Exploration 
Society." By their excavations a part of the 
foundation wall of the temple platform built by 
Solomon, on the south side, has been uncovered 
to the depth of fifty feet below the present sur- 



240 



Wonders of the East. 



face. This, added to the eighty feet above, 
made the wall originally one hundred and 
thirty feet high. At the southeast corner on 
the east side, a shaft has been sunken by which 
it has been ascertained that the foundation of 
the waU at that point is seventy feet below the 
present surface. At this corner of the temple 
area, but under it, are fifteen rows of columns, 
arched over to elevate and support the platform 
above, so as to secure the necessary elevation of 
this part of the surface. These columns or 
piers, are from three to eight feet in diameter, 
and from five to twenty feet apart. This exten- 
sive subterranean structure is supposed by some 
to have been Solomon's stables, where his 
twelve thousand riding horses were kept. It is 
approached by a triple gate under the Mosque 
el Aksa, a building formerly used by the 
Knights Templar. 

The interesting discovery by Dr. Robinson, of 
what he supposed to be one of the arches of the 
bridge across the valley, separating Mount 
Zion from Mount Moriah, which has been so 
sharply contested by different writers, has not 
only been confirmed, but is now proved to have 
been about one hundred and fifty feet high, 
fifty one broad, and not less than three hundred 
and fifty feet long, stretching across the Tyro- 
pean valley, and to have formed a most magni- 
ficent highway from Solomon's palace on Zion 
to the Temple on Mount Moriah. No wonder 



Jerusalem. 



241 



that when the Queen of Sheba saw " his ascent 
by which he went up to the house of the Lord, 
there was no more spirit in her." Besides all 
this, aqueducts, cisterns, and rock-hewn chan- 
nels have been discovered, that throw additional 
light on the buildings, the arrangements and 
the services of the temple. The basin which 
contained the " sea " under the temple spoken 
of by the son of Sirach, has not only been 
brought to light, but its capacity determined to 
be two million gallons, it being seven hundred 
and thirty-six feet in circumference, and forty- 
two feet deep. 

Passing out of the enclosure of the Temple 
area, we visited the wailing place of the Jews, 
which is at the base of the wall which rises 
from the Tyropean valley, and supports the 
west side of the Temple area. This wall is built 
of large beveled stones, and is supposed by 
many to have been constructed by Solomon. 
Here the Jews congregate on stated occasions 
and kiss these stones, and weep over the desola- 
tion of their city, and the destruction of their 
Temple. This sacred enclosure is to them the 
most holy place on earth. They firmly believe 
that prayers offered here are far more efficacious 
than prayers offered anywhere else. As they 
are not permitted to worship on the immediate 
spot where their Temple stood, they gather at 
the base of its foundation wall to offer up their 
devotions ; and so highly do they esteem the 



242 Wonders of the East. 

privilege of praying here that at different times 
they have paid their Mahommedan oppressors 
large sums of money for this precious boon. 

Those whom I saw congregated here looked 
♦poor, dejected and forlorn; and were going 
through their forms of worship and lamenta- 
tions with evident emotions of sorrow. Here, 
with tearful eyes and trembling lips, they were 
solemnly chanting, " Be not wroth very sore ! 
O Lord, neither remember iniquity forever! 
Behold ! see, we beseech thee, we are thy peo- 
ple. Thy holy cities are a wilderness. Zion is 
a wilderness. Jerusalem is a desolation. Our 
holy and beautiful house where our fathers 
praised thee is burned up with fire, and all 
our pleasant things are laid waste. (Is. 
liv : 9-11.) My interpreter told me that so 
great was the importance that they attach to 
praying at this place, that many who came 
from a distance to this sacred spot, and who 
could return to it but seldomly or never, fre- 
quently wrote out a prayer, and then thrusted 
it into some deep crevice of the wall, that in 
their absence their petition might be pleading 
with God from this hallowed shrine. While he 
was relating to me this interesting custom and 
passing along the wall and looking into its nu- 
merous crevices, he spied in one of them a piece 
of paper, and immediately exclaimed : " Here 
is one now." By the aid of a small stick with 
a pin attached to the end of it, he was soon 



Jerusalem. 



243 



engaged in trying to drag it from its hiding 
place. I shall not soon forget how sadly the 
Jews looked on while this sacreligious act was 
being perpetrated. Their evident sorrow elicit- 
ed my sympathy, and I begged of the hard- 
hearted Turk to desist, but all to no purpose. 
The paper was secured, and I finally received 
it, and although I could not read it, I brought it 
home with me as a literary curiosity and me- 
mento of my visit to that interesting place. 

Since my return to the States, I have sub- 
mitted it to the examination of Prof. G. W. 
Sheldon, of New York, who informs me that 
the language is Aramaic Hebrew, written in 
the modern Hebrew current hand, which is 
quite different from the printed Hebrew ; and 
furthermore, that, instead of its being a record 
of a prayer, as I supposed, it contains a list of 
the names of certain persons who, though 
probably residing in Europe, wished to be 
prayed for at Jerusalem. This singular docu- 
ment (a literal translation of which is herewith 
furnished by Professor Sheldon), is made per- 
fectly intelligible by the following explana- 
tion given to him by a Jewish Rabbi, also of 
New York. 

He states that in Europe, and especially 
in Poland, from which he came, when a 
Jewish Rabbi is about to visit Jerusalem, it is 
customary for devout Jews of his acquaintance 
to furnish him with their names, and to state 



244 Wonders of the East. 

to him the blessings which they feel they most 
need, that he may carry the list to the Holy 
City, and there, where prayer (as they believe) is 
rendered so wonderfully efficacious by the sanc- 
tity of the place, offer up in their behalf his 
supplications for the blessing craved. That it 
is also expected upon their part, and promised 
by him, that their names, together with their 
requests, shall be left in some secure place in 
or about the Temple wall, that their petitions 
may continue to be answered in their behalf, if 
needs be, all their lifetime. For these services 
they usually pay to him more or less toward de- 
fraying his expenses in his journey. 

This arrangement of writing the names and 
the blessings craved upon paper, and placing 
it in some particular locality that it may con- 
tinually plead with God without any further 
trouble upon the part of the petitioner, is very 
much like the plan of a certain man of whom I 
have heard ; who being impressed with the im- 
portance of saying the Lord's prayer, each 
might before retiring, and yet wishing to avoid 
the necessary labor and consumption of time 
required in its nightly repetition, wrote it out 
on paper, which he pinned on his bed-curtain, 
and thereafter, as occasion required, he merely 
took hold of the curtain, shook it gently, 
remarking : " Lord, these are my sentiments," 
and then contentedly consigned himself to 
rest. 



Jerusalem. 245 

The translation of this singular document is 
as follows : 

"By the help of the Name (Jehovah). 

Tsvi Hirsch, son of Kachel ; for the cure of the pain 
in his eyes. 

D. Peril, daughter of Eauda Hena. 

Eliezer, Joseph, son of Peril; for prosperity and 
increase in honor all the days of his life. 

D. Gotil, daughter of Hasi [or Hase]. 

B., the bride Sarah Pheiga. D., the bridegroom, 
Samuel Benjamin. 

B. Phroma. Blessed be the Name! May He (Jeho- 
vah) provide a mate for her soon. 

Moses, son of Peril ; for prosperity. 

D. Sarah, daughter of Hasi [or Hase]. 

The bride Sarah, daughter of Rachel Leah. The 
bridegroom Joshia [probably for Joshua] son of Tipporah. 

Basi [probably Bittriah]. Pheiba daughter of Sarah. 

For the peace of Mordecar, son of Peril. Blessed be 
the Name ! May He hasten the consummation of his 
happy engagement [to be married]. 

Dav "Wolf, son of Ohayah. The bride Rebecca, daugh- 
ter of Bahrein." 

Some things in the above cannot fail to strike 
the mind of the attentive reader as peculiar. 
The same precaution against using the name of 
Jehovah is here manifested that characterized 
the Jews in aircient times. Another thing is 
worthy of note, namely : every single blessing 
craved in the above specifications is temporal 
and material. The two petitions relating to 
marriage (perhaps by mothers), although right 
and perfectly natural, yet it seems strange to 




246 



Wonders of the East. 



us to see such desires lifted up above all spirit- 
ual blessings. This is certainly a sad comment- 
ary upon the present materialism of this ancient 
people. It will be also observed that each one 
named is said to be the son or daughter of the 
mother instead of the father. This is said to be 
a common Oriental custom, resulting from the 
general prevalence of polygamy in the East, 
and the lax condition of the morals of society 
that render it so difficult in speaking of the 
parents of children, to go beyond the mother. 

A short distance from the Temple wall a 
very important aqueduct has also been dis- 
covered by the Palestine Exploration Fund So- 
ciety, within the city, which they have no doubt 
is a part of the original aqueduct from Solo- 
mon's pools, south of Bethlehem. This ancient 
relic is partly built of masonry, and partly cut 
in the solid rock ; and the city portion of it has, 
up to the present time, been traced about seven 
hundred feet. Many other interesting facts in 
connection with these excavations within the 
city might be dwelt upon, or at least referred 
to, did space permit. I will, however, in this 
connection, refer to one other place, namely, 
the fountain of Hezekiah. 

This is situated in the western part of the city, 
near the Jaffa gate. Hezekiah is known to 
have done considerable in the form of public 
improvements in Jerusalem. Among these, not 
the least was supplying the city with an abund- 



Jerusalem. 



247 



ance of water. Hence the reservoir that still 
bears his name. This immense basin is now 
known to be supplied with water by the means 
of an aqueduct leading from the upper pool of 
Gihon, which lies some distance outside of the 
walls of the city to the west. It is said in 
Chron. xxxii : 30, that " Hezekiah stopped (or 
turned) the upper water-course of Gihon, and 
brought it straight down to the west side of the 
city of David." Again, it is said, " he made a 
pool and conduit, and brought water into the 
city." It is also stated that when the king of 
Assyria, Sennacherib, came up to besiege Jeru- 
salem, that Hezekiah "took counsel with his 
princes and his mighty men to stop the waters 
of the fountains which were without the city ; 
and they did help him. So there was gathered 
together much people, who stopped all the foun- 
tains and the brook that ran through the midst 
of the land, saying : ' Why should the kings of 
Assyria come and find much water?' " (2 Chron. 
xxxii : 3, 4). It is thought by many, that at 
that time the king had this subterranean pas- 
sage excavated, by which the upper pool of 
Gihon was emptied of its waters, which were 
treasured up in the fountain of Hezekiah, within 
the city. Besides all this, I was told that when 
the English Church was being built, in making 
excavations for the foundation, some twenty 
feet below the surface, the workmen came upon 
a most remarkable work of masonry, consisting 



248 



Wonders of the East. 



of a veulted chamber resting upon a foundation 
of solid rock. From this chamber a flight of 
stone steps led down to an immense conduit, 
"which was partly excavated out of the solid 
rock, and partly built of masonry ; and that this 
conduit has been traced more than two hundred 
feet. Another singular fact has been brought 
to light in connection with this aqueduct. It 
is found that there were apertures leading from 
the surface to the interior of this conduit, at 
regular intervals, from which it is supposed the 
people drew water. This, it is said, could have 
been easily done, as the bottom of the aqueduct 
was so nearly level as to have had a sufficient 
depth of water for this purpose. 

The fountain of Hezekiah is certainly a 
fine work. It is two hundred and forty feet 
long, and one hundred and forty-four feet 
broad. The bottom, it is said, consists of the 
natural rock. It is partly filled with water — 
how deep 1 was not able to learn ; but was told 
that the quantity was large, and capable of 
supplying half the city. 



Jerusalem. 



249 



LETTER XXVI. 

AROUND JERUSALEM. V ALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT. 

The Tomb of Absalom. — The Tomb of Jehosha- 
phat. — Tomb of St. James. — Tomb of Zacha- 
riah. — Whited Sepulchres. — Fountain of the 
Virgin.— Pool of Siloam. — Mount of Cor- 
ruption. — Well of Job — Hill of Evil Coun- 
cil. — Aceldama. — Valley of Rinnom. — Pool 
of Gihon. — Tombs of the Kings. — Tombs of 
the Judges. 

THIS renowned valley is, as has been before 
stated, on the east side of Jerusalem, and 
is a continuation of the Valley of the Kedron, 
and separates the lower portion of the city from 
Mount Olivet, and is between one and two 
hundred feet deep. Whatever it might have 
been originally, at present it is little else than a 
vast cemetery. On its west side, just under the 
wall of the city, opposite the temple area, is 
the Mohammedan place of sepulchres, which 
is thickly crowded with their singularly con- 
structed, whitewashed tombs. The Moham- 
medans deem it a peculiar privilege to be buried 
as near the great Mosque of Omar as possible, 
believing that this soil is made holy by the 
temple. 

Immediately opposite this, on the east side of 



250 Wonders of the East. 



the valley, extending up the slope of Olivet, is 
the Jews' burying-ground ; where, for thou- 
sands of years, have been deposited the remains 
of passing generations, until the whole ground 
has been filled and piled with the bones and 
dust of a countless multitude. It is said that 
one of the greatest privileges a Jew can crave 
is to be buried with his forefathers in the Valley 
of Jehoshaphat. This strong desire is owing, in 
a great measure, to the fact that they believe 
the coming Messiah will stand here in the res- 
urrection at the last day. Many of these tombs 
are excavations in the solid rock. The entire 
base of Olivet, on this side, has been cut and 
hewn into perpendicular faces, at some remote 
period, probably for stone. In these faces many 
tombs are constructed. Some of these are quite 
plain ; others more ornamental and imposing. 
Others, however, assume a monumental form. 
Among those that deserve particular attention 
are the following — the tombs of Absalom, Je- 
hoshaphat, St. James, and Zachariah. 

The reputed tomb or pillar of Absalom is a 
massive structure, about twenty -four feet square 
and fifty feet high. The lower part is hewn 
out of the solid rock. It is ornamented with 
two columns and two half-columns on each side, 
of the Ionic order, with pilasters at the corners, 
besides other sculptured ornamentations. Above 
these columns projects a large cornice with 
heavy mouldings. Above this rises a sort of 



Jerusalem. 



251 



pyramid, nearly approaching the form of a 
rapidly tapering spire, except that it enlarges 
at the top, something like an opening flower. 
Around it is a large pile of small stones, which 
have been accumulating for ages by Jews cast- 
ing stones at it as they pass by it, to express 
their contempt for Absalom's rebellion. He 
disobeyed God in refusing to honor his father ; 
and, as a result, eternal infamy clings to his 
name. How impressive the words of Inspira- 
tion in connection with this fact ! — " Them that 
honor me I will honor ; and they that despise 
me shall be lightly esteemed." How little he 
thought that the monument that was to perpet- 
uate his name would also perpetuate his dis- 
grace ! The account says : " Absalom in his 
lifetime had reared up for himself a pillar, 
which is in the king's dale, for he said, I have 
no son to keep my name in remembrance ; and 
he called the pillar after his own name " (2 Sam. 
xviii : 18). His remains, however, are not here. 
He was slain in battle in his own rebellion, in 
the wood of Ephraim ; the account of which 
says : " They took him and cast him into a great 
pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of 
stones upon him." 

A short distance to the northeast of this is 
the tomb of Jehoshaphat, as it is called. This 
is a subterranean excavation in the solid rock, 
with no ornamentation except about the door- 
way, where there is still to be seen sculptured 



252 



Wonders of the East. 



foliage, etc. The tomb, at present, is much 
choked up with dirt and rubbish, betokening 
both neglect and decay. Although called the 
tomb of Jehoshaphat, there is not much proba- 
bility that it was ever constructed for him. At 
all events, it is quite certain he was not buried 
here. The Bible tells us that he was " buried 
with his fathers, in the city of David n (2 Chron. 
xxi : 1). 

Some two hundred feet south of the pillar of 
Absalom is the tomb of St, James. It fronts 
the west, and opens into a wall of rock at a con- 
siderable elevation. The front is adorned with 
a porch, eighteen feet wide and nine feet 
deep, supported by four Doric columns sculp- 
tured out of the solid rock where they stand, 
the adjacent rock having been hewn from 
around them. Ton enter the chamber from the 
south, through a low doorway — the main cham- 
ber being some seventeen feet long and four- 
teen broad. From this are openings or recesses 
extending still further back, making the entire 
excavation some forty feet back in the rock. 

A few paces south of this, stands the tomb of 
the prophet Zachariah. The lower part of this 
consists of a cubical block of the native rock, 
and is about twenty feet every way. The rock 
has been hewn from around it. On the upper, 
side (for it stands on a hill-side), a broad and 
deep excavation has been made, so that it should 
stand out detached from the hill-side. Each 



Jerusalem. 



253 



corner is finished with square pilasters, while 
two columns and two half-columns adorn each 
side. The capitals are Ionic, and a heavy cor- 
nice, worked with leaves, runs around the top. 
This immense block is surmounted by a sort of 
pyramid, of some ten feet elevation, making the 
entire height of the structure about thirty feet. 
As it is solid, of course Zachariah is not buried 
here. It is said, however, to have been con- 
structed in honor of this prophet, who was 
stoned to death in the court of the temple, in 
the reign of J oash. It is thought by some, that 
our Lord had this v§ry monument in view when 
He said to the Jews : 66 Tour fathers killed the 
prophets, and ye build their sepulchres." 

While upon this subject I wish to say one 
thing, in reference to sepulchres, which has im- 
pressed my own mind since I have been in this 
country, and which, I think, will not be unin- 
teresting to others, as it may serve to throw 
some light upon certain passages of Scripture. 
Most of the tombs of the East which are erected 
over the remains of the departed, are, at the 
time of their completion, whitewashed, and 
thereby rendered very white. But after this 
they are generally neglected. I noticed this 
practice as being well-nigh universal in Egypt, 
as w r ell as here. Now, with these facts before 
us, let us turn to the denunciation of Christ 
against the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, in 
which He says : " Ye are like unto whited sep- 



254 



Wonders of the East. 



nlehres, which indeed appear beautiful outward ; 
bnt are within Full of dead men's bones and all 
uncleanness." These whited sepulchres are not 
necessarily to be considered handsome, elegant 
marble structures, as I once supposed ; but 
"wKited sepulchres," meaning simply new 
tombs. This view of this passage gives addi- 
tional force to the words of Jesus, and makes 
His reproof of the Pharisees all the more cut- 
ting. Tor it is the whited sepulchres, or new 
ones, where putrefaction and decomposition are 
going on within with the recently deposited 
corpses, which render them "full of all unelean- 
ness j* which is not true of old sepulchres, 
where the bodies have long ago all turned to 
dust, and where all often si veness has long since 
ceased to exist. 

Fountain of the Virgin. — Passing down the 
ralley, and turning to the right and crossing 
the brook Kedron, we came to the eastern side 
of the hill Ophal. On this slope, near its base, 
is located the Fountain of the Virgin. It is 
sometimes called the Bath of Samuel — the Fount 
of Siloam— the Pool of Bethesda, and the Foun- 
tain of the Virgin. The latter is the name by 
which it is generally known at Jerusalem. It 
is a deep artificial cavity, the basin of which is 
more than twenty feet below its mouth or en- 
trance. Passing in under an arch, the water is 
reached by two flights of stone steps. The first 



Jerusalem. 



255 



consists of sixteen, and lands you on a level 
stone platform, some ten or twelve feet square. 
The second numbers ten steps, extending from 
the platform down to the water. The reservoir, 
or basin, is fifteen feet long, some six wide, and 
about seven feet deep, and cut in the solid rock. 
The water is some three feet deep, and is pre- 
vented from rising much above this point by a 
subterranean passage, through which the water 
flows to the pool of Siloam, one thousand seven 
hundred and fifty feet south of the Fountain of 
the Yirgin. 

One strange peculiarity of this fountain is the 
fact, that the water flows into it at intervals, 
and not regularly. On reaching the pool you 
see, perhaps, the water still and tranquil. After 
gazing upon it for a while, all of a sudden the 
water gushes out from the north side, and comes 
bubbling up with considerable force for perhaps 
twenty or thirty minutes, rising near a foot, and 
then subsiding into the same tranquillity again 
for several hours, and so on alternately. 

From whence these subterranean waters come 
is not known. Some suppose that they are de- 
rived from under the ancient temple area of 
Solomon. One thing, however, is quite certain, 
namely, that this periodical flow must be owing 
to a siphon ic passage, either natural or artificial. 
In no other w T ay can this singular phenomenon 
be accounted for. It is thought by some that 
this is the pool of Bethesda, and that this peri- 



256 



Wonders of the East, 



odical flow or bubbling of the water is what is 
referred to by the evangelist, where it is said 
that " an angel went down at a certain season 
into the pool, and troubled the water, etc." 
We leave the reader, however, to adopt his own 
theory in relation to the matter, according to 
his own convictions. 

Passing south from the " Fountain of the 
Virgin," at the southern point of the hill Ophel, 
just at the mouth of the Tyropean valley, where 
it intersects the valley of Jehoshaphat, we came 
to the Pool of Siloam, one of the most noted 
fountains of Jerusalem. This pool dates-back 
to a remote period, and is thought by some to 
have been originally constructed to water the 
king's gardens in the vicinity. Nehemiah tells 
us (iii : 15) that " Shallum built the walls of the 
pool of Siioah by the king's garden." It is 
built of masonry, and is fifty-three feet long, 
eighteen wide, and nineteen deep, and is sup- 
plied with water by a subterranean passage cut 
through the solid rock from the Fountain of the 
Yirgin, as before stated. This pool is supposed 
to have been enclosed by the ancient city walls. 
It was to this pool that our Lord directed the 
blind man to go and wash, after he had anointed 
his eyes with clay ; who, having done so, came 
seeing (John ix : 7). !Near this pool, it is sup- 
posed, stood the tower of which the Saviour 
speaks, that, in its fall, crushed eighteen men to 
death (Luke xiii : 4). 



Jerusalem. 257 



Mount of Corruption. — Directly across the 
Kedron from this point, on the left, rises from 
the valley the Hill of Corruption, or, as it is 
sometimes called, the " Mount of Offence," or 
the 66 Hill of Scandal." Here Solomon set up 
his system of idolatry, and thereby disgraced 
himself, and incurred the displeasure of high 
heaven. "He built a high place for Chemosh, 
the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is 
before Jerusalem, and for Moloch, the abomina- 
tion of the children of Ammon. And likewise 
did he for all his strange wives which burned 
incense, and sacrificed unto their gods"— 
(1 Kings ii : 7-8). How strange that one so wise 
should have become so foolish ! that he who had 
built the temple, the most marvelous structure 
of the age, and who had dedicated it with such 
pomp and magnificence, amid such exhibitions 
of divine glory, should have, under any circum- 
stances, become an idolater ! But such is the 
weakness of human nature. The Bible narra- 
tive and this hill will ever stand as witnesses of 
his strange infatuation, folly, and wickedness. 

Well of Job. — Passing still further down the 
ravine, just below the junction of the Yalley of 
Hinnom with the Kedron, and some five hun- 
dred feet below the top of Mount Zion, is situated 
the Well of Job, in one of the most charming 
spots in the vicinity of the city. This well is 
supposed to be the En-Eogel of the Old Testa- 



258 



Wonders of the East. 



ment, and to have stood in the days of Joshua, 
over three thousand years ago, It is sunk in 
the solid rock, and is one hundred and twenty- 
five feet deep, walled up at the surface with 
large hewn square stones, which terminate in 
an arch at the top. A large flat stone, with a 
circular hole through the middle of it, laid over 
the top of the well, constitutes its mouth. The 
water is excellent, and abundant at all times, 
and is said, in the rainy season, to overflow fre- 
quently. The water is still drawn as in ancient 
times, with leather buckets, or earthen jars 
attached to ropes, which are pulled up by hand. 
These ropes have worn deep grooves in the 
stone, giving it the appearance of great anti- 
quity. In fact, nearly three thousand years 
ago, when David had fled from Jerusalem at 
the rebellion of Absalom, he employed Jonathan 
and Ahimaaz to bring him, or to furnish him 
with tidings of the progress of the rebellion, 
who tarried by this well, " for they might not 
be seen to come into the city." At a subse- 
quent period Adonijah rebelled against David, 
his father, and made this well the rallying point. 
(1 Kings i : 9). Turning to the left from this 
place, and proceeding up the valley of Hinnom 
a short distance, you see on the south side of the 
valley rising abruptly, 

The Hill of Evil Counsel.— On the summit 
of this hill tradition locates the ancient residence 



Jerusalem. 



259 



of Caiaphas, and here, it is affirmed, the chief 
priests and scribes met and held their consulta- 
tion how to arrest and destroy Jesus. Hence it 
is called the Hill of Evil Counsel, in view of 
this fact. An old ruin and a lone tree, said to 
be the one upon which Judas hanged himself, 
are about the only objects of interest that now 
meet the eye at this point. On the slope of this 
hill, facing the Valley of Hinnom, is pointed 
out 

Aceldama. — This is the reputed field pur- 
chased with the thirty pieces of silver for which 
Judas betrayed Christ. For this reason it was 
called the " field of blood." Previously it was 
called " Potters' Field, 9 ' as it is supposed pottery 
was originally manufactured here. As the clay 
had become exhausted, the ground was nearly 
worthless, hence the low price at which it was 
purchased, considering its proximity to the city. 
I believe it is generally thought that this is the 
veritable ground that was bought with the price 
of our Lord to bury strangers in. It is said that 
the plot of ground was only about thirty yards 
long, by fifteen wide. At present, however, 
there is no boundary to distinguish it from the 
rest of the hill side. In the midst of it is a 
charnel-house, half built, half excavated, now in 
ruins, where in former ages the dead have been 
laid. It has long since ceased, however, to be 
used for sepulchral purposes. 



260 



Wonders of the East. 



Passing on a westerly course up the Valley 
of Hinnom, which constitutes the southern 
boundary of Jerusalem, we soon reach the angle 
where the valley turns to the north, and takes 
the name of Gihon. The valley of Hinnom, 
which extends from the " Well of Job" to this 
angle, is something over a half mile long, Turn- 
ing up the Gihon Yalley, which lies on the west 
side of the city, one hundred and forty yards 
brings us to the lower pool of Gihon. 

This is an immense reservoir of great anti- 
quity. It is six hundred feet long, two hundred 
and fifty feet wide, and forty deep. It is now 
dry, being out of repair. Still further up the 
valley, at over a half-mile distance from the 
lower pool, is the upper pool of Gihon, which 
undoubtedly was formerly connected with the 
lower pool. This measures three hundred feet 
long, two hundred wide, and twenty feet deep. 
Many interesting allusions are made to these 
pools in very ancient times. By one of them, 
Solomon was anointed king in the place of his 
father, David (1 Kings i : 38-39). It was by 
the upper pool that Rabshakeh stood and deli- 
vered his boastful and insulting message from 
King Sennacherib to King Hezekiah, in which 
the latter was threatened with utter destruction 
if he should dare to join battle with the King of 
Assyria (Isaiah xxxvi : 2). Other allusions are 
also made to these pools in Bible history, but 
we have not time to dwell. Continuing our 



Jerusalem. 



261 



course in a north-east direction, we soon reached 
the north-west angle of the city wall. About a 
half-mile north of the northern wall of Jerusa- 
lem is located the renowned tombs of the kings. 

These are the most remarkable structures of 
the kind in the vicinity of Jerusalem, or per- 
haps elsewhere. The labor that has been re- 
quired to excavate them has been immense. In 
the first place, a room, or court, has been exca- 
vated in the solid rock, to the depth of twenty 
feet, and ninety feet square. This is open at 
the top, or roofless, and in all probability was 
where the funeral rites were said. On the west 
side of this room is a portico, thirty-nine feet 
long, seventeen feet deep, and fifteen high, 
excavated also out of the solid rock. The 
columns in the centre, and the pilasters at the 
corners, bear some resemblance to the Corin- 
thian order. The cornice has been originally 
ornamented with clusters of grapes, garlands, 
and festoons. In the south end of the portico 
opens a low doorway into an ante-chamber, 
which is nineteen feet square, and seven feet 
high. From this chamber three passages lead 
to other rooms. From one of these, namely, the 
west room, there is a passageway leading down 
several steps into a large vault, in which are 
excavated crypts parallel to the sides. To these 
entrances there w T ere originally paneled stone 
doors, hung on stone hinges, but they have been 
broken. While down in these vaults, I felt 



262 



Wonders of the East. 



very much oppressed with the heat, and per- 
spired freely. My candle, as well as the candle 
of my guide, became very soft. The air in these 
subterranean chambers was not only warm, but 
also very stifling and oppressive, and I felt very 
much relieved when I had finished my explora- 
tions, and reached the out-door air again. 

What seems strange is the fact, that no one- 
can tell who made these wonderful excavations, 
or for whom they were intended. They are 
called the " Tombs of the Kings," because it is 
thought that royalty must have had them exca- 
vated, as they have been evidently too costly 
for private enterprise, as the rock is intensely 
hard, and the work enormous. 

About a mile farther north are the " Tombs 
of the Judges," as they are called, which in 
their leading features are similar to the tombs 
of the kings, except that they are more varied 
and complicated. These, like the former, are 
shrouded in mystery. They undoubtedly be- 
long to the remote past. Whoever had them 
constructed, undoubtedly hoped that their re- 
mains would, after death, here rest in security. 
They little thought inquisitive travelers would 
not only invade their sepulchres, but would 
cany away their bones to enrich private cabi- 
nets and museums. But so it is. Their very 
costliness has led to their desecration. 



Outside of Jerusalem, 263 



LETTEE XXVII. 

OUTSIDE OF JERUSALEM. 

Tomb of the Virgin Mary. — Garden of Geth- 
semane. — Top of Olivet. — Magnificent View. 
— Reflections —Bethany. — Its App a ranee. — 
Lazarus* Tomb. — Road to Jerusalem. — The 
Fig Tree. — Spreading of Garments in the 
Way. — Here Jesus Wept over Jerusalem. 

PASSING- out of the city at the St. Stephen's 
Gate, on the east side, and descending 
somewhat rapidly down a rocky road, we soon 
reached the dry bed of the Kedron, more than 
a hundred feet below the wall of the city. At 
this point it is spanned by a small stone-arched 
bridge. What interesting scenes came up be- 
fore my mind as I stood here and thought of the 
past ! What hallowed associations cluster around 
the " Brook Kedron !" How often the Saviour 
and the apostles crossed and re-crossed this re- 
nowned valley! The very night our Lord was 
betrayed He crossed it twice with His disciples, 
and the fact serves in no small decree to fix the 
location of Gethsemane. From the bed of the 
Kedron, we commence to ascend Mount Olivet. 
Proceeding up this old road, a short distance 
off, a little to the left, is the reputed 



264 



Wonders of the East. 



Tomb of the Virgin Mary. — The edifice is a 
deep subterranean structure. Some sixty steps, 
partly outside and partly under cover, lead 
down to the interior. On the right of the de- 
scent are shown the tombs of Joachim and 
Anna. On the left, that of St. Joseph. Toward 
the east of the church is the supposed tomb of 
Mary. Over this is an altar, above which is a 
painting representing her death-bed scene. The 
whole interior is decorated with costly lamps, 
and other ornaments. If, however, Mary died 
at Ephesus, as some suppose, there is but little 
probability that her remains were ever deposited 
here. 

Retracing our steps back to the road, we re- 
new our ascent up Mount Olivet. A few paces 
on, we come to where the road forks. The right 
hand branch starting off nearly a south-east 
course, bending more easterly as it advances 
around the southern slope of Olivet, until it 
reaches Bethany. The other branch bears a 
little to the left, so as to form an angle with the 
Bethany road of about ninety degrees. A few 
paces further on the left hand road, another 
road, or pathway, branches off from it to the 
right, passing over the southern shoulder of 
Olivet to Bethany, thereby avoiding the more 
circuitous route of the first road. Still further 
on, a third branched off to the right, leading to 
the top of Mount Olivet. Over the main road 
that bears to the left, running about a north-east 



Outside of Jerusalem. 265 



course, King David is supposed to have passed, 
when he fled from the rebellion of Absalom. 
Just in the angle of the first Bethany road with 
the main road, is located 

The Garden of Gethsemane. — This sacred 
enclosure, which is about three hundred yards 
from St. Stephen's gate, I found to be nearly 
square, being fifty paces one way, and fifty- 
three the other. It is surrounded with a high 
stone plastered wall, with an entrance on the 
east side. The garden is adorned with shrub- 
bery and flowers, and I was honored with the 
presentation of one of its roses by the keeper. 
The most impressive part of its ornamentation, 
however, is its eight old olive trees. These are 
justly regarded as the most venerable trees on 
the face of the globe. Their gnarled trunks and 
scanty foliage show them to be venerable with 
age, and, in this respect, unlike any other trees 
in all this region. \ "What a place for reflection 
and contemplation ! Gethsemane will ever rival 
Calvary in its wonderful associations. These 
stir the Christian's heart with a thrill of emo- 
tions that words cannot describe. I did not 
care just then to disturb my reflections and 
meditations with the rival claims of other local- 
ities to this distinction. It was enough for me 
to believe that the probabilities were strongly 
in favor of this being the sacred place. At all 
events, I chose rather to indulge in the pleasing 



266 



Wanders of the East. 



thought that here Jesus oft times resorted with 
his disciples, to escape the noise and tumult of 
the city, and for instruction and prayer. That 
here it was that the great conflict was endured, 
in which He suffered the burden of an untold 
agony for our redemption. When, amid the 
oozing of blood from every pore. He said. *'• My 
soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death/' 
and then prayed, " 0. my Father, if it be possi- 
ble, let this cap pass from me ; nevertheless, not 
as I will, but as thou wilt." 

I felt annoyed, however, by having these 
solemn reflections interrupted by my guide 
pointing out to me that just here the Saviour 
knelt when He prayed, and just there the disci- 
ples slept, and at this particular point, or spot, 
Judas betrayed his Master with a kiss. I have 
not the least confidence in these details. I care 
nothing about them. I am satisfied to believe 
that this is the garden. lis location accords so 
well with the account of Holy Writ, that I be- 
lieve it to be tne garden of our Lord's agony 
and betrayal. 

From this point, about half way up to the 
top of Mount Olivet, is a monastery in ruins, 
said to mark the spot where our Lord wept over 
Jerusalem, and from which we had a fine view 
of the city. On the top of Olivet is a small 
filthy Arab village, in the midst of which stands 
a Mohammedan mosque. In the court of this 
mosque stands an octagonal chapel, called the 



Outside of Jerusalem. 267 



6< Church of the Ascension/' This church, tra- 
dition affirms, covers the very spot from which 
Jesus ascended up into heaven. 

Having ascended to the top of the minaret of 
the mosque, I had one of the most glorious 
views of all my life. To the west, below me, 
were the Garden of Gethsemane and Jerusalem, 
in full view. To the south rises the Mount of 
Offence, where Solomon built high places to 
strange gods, and burnt incense to idols (1 Kings 
xi : 7). Beyond this stretches out the hill coun- 
try of Judea, in the midst of which, six miles 
away, you see the city of Bethlehem, the birth- 
place of our Lord. To the east a still more ex- 
tended view opens up before you. From the 
base of Mount Olivet, in this direction, com- 
mences the district known as the " Wilderness 
of Judea," a bleak, broken, hilly, and barren 
region, the scene of John the Baptist's ministry, 
and Christ's temptation. Still on beyond this 
is seen the Plains of Jericho, and the dark line 
of vegetation that marks the meanderings of the 
Jordan to the Dead Sea, which is also plainly 
in view. Still on beyond the Jordan is seen the 
mountain range of Moab, like a giant wall, 
forming the eastern boundary of the Jordan 
valley. On this mountain range, just opposite 
Jericho, is seen Mount Pisgah, upon the top of 
which Moses stood and viewed the " Promised 
Land." While close at hand, on the south-east 
side of Olivet, is the town of Bethany, where 



263 



Wonders of the East, 



Jesus so frequently found a home with Mary, 
Martha, and Lazarus. And, what is more, be- 
neath, my feet is the Mount of Ascent, from 
which the Lord of life and fflorv ascended upon 
high to the right hand of God. TThat a place 
for reflection and contemplation ! What thrill- 
ing scenes, what stupendous events have tran- 
spired here ! Is it strange that with such scenes 
before me, with such grand, glorious, and hal- 
lowed surroundings, that my heart should beat 
faster, that thoughts which thrill the soul with 
strange emotions — almost divine — should come 
and go in quick succession? That tears of joy 
shbtiltl occasionally bedim my eyes as I gazed 
upon the hills and valleys of this land, that was 
once made glorious with the benedictions of 
heaven — this land of prophets and apostles, of 
miracles and wonders, of inspiration and song? 
Long shall I cherish a remembrance of the feel- 
ings and emotions which filled my soul while 
standing on the summit of Mount Olivet. 

Bethany. — Descending from the top of Olivet 
down its southeastern slope, we soon came to 
this renowned and ancient village, which is 
about two miles east from Jerusalem, on the 
road leading from the city to Jericho. The 
village is small ; there being not perhaps over 
twenty-five houses. These are built of stcne, 
and look very ancient. The streets are very 
filthy, and the inhabitants have the appearance 



Outside of Jerusalem, 269 



of being very poor. Yet Bethany is one of the 
noted places in the vicinity of Jerusalem. Here 
lived Martha, and Mary, and Lazarus. Here, 
with these sisters and brother, Jesus generally 
made it his home whenever He visited Jerusa- 
lem. Here He raised Lazarus from the dead ; 
and this miracle has given to the place an undy- 
ing name. It is called by the natives Azariyeh 
(Lazarus) in commemoration of that event. 
The tomb of Lazarus is a deep, dark vault exca- 
vated in the rock. You enter through a low 
doorway, and descend over a winding stairway 
to a small ante-chamber. From this you pass 
through another doorway, and descending a 
few more steps, you stand in the vault where 
Lazarus was laid. Never before was I so im- 
pressed with the circumstances connected with 
his resurrection as I was when standing beside 
the tomb. It seemed to me like hallowed 
ground, a blessed place. I almost imagined I 
saw the stiffened corpse, the weeping sisters, the 
sympathetic and loving Jesus, and the wonder- 
ing Jews, all standing here. I fancy I hear 
His voice, " Lazarus, come forth," when death 
lets go its hold, and Lazarus lives again. How 
suddenly these sisters' sorrow was turned to 
joy! No wonder that many of the Jews believed 
on Jesus at that time. In the light of this 
astounding miracle, how impressive are the 
words of our Saviour, " I am the resurrection 
and the life, etc." No wonder that six days 



2/0 



Wonders of the East. 



after much people of the Jews came to see 
Jesus and Lazarus, whom He had raised from 
the dead. I was shown an old ruin, as the 
house of these two sisters and Lazarus, and 
also another as that of Simon the Leper, where 
Mary anointed Jesus with the precious oint- 
ment. 

In returning to Jerusalem, I took the most 
southern road which passes around on the south- 
ern slope of Olivet. This is the old road lead- 
ing from Jerusalem to Bethany, and so on to 
Jericho, and the only road between Bethany 
and Jerusalem over which animals or beasts 
generally pass. Over this road our Saviour 
undoubtedly most generally traveled in his 
visits to and from Bethany. I was pointed out 
the place by the roadside of this thoroughfare, 
where the fig-tree stood, which Jesus cursed, 
and which so soon after withered away, (Math, 
xxi : 19-20). Here upon this road, during the 
Feast of Tabernacles, when it was crowded 
with pilgrims from Jericho, w T ho, in passing 
through Bethany, had just learned of the resur- 
rection of Lazarus, our Lord was riding to 
Jerusalem, when " A very great multitude 
spread their garments in the way ; others cut 
down branches from the trees and strewed 
them in the way" (xxi : 8). This was in ac- 
cordance, so far as the branches are concerned, 
with the custom of using them during the Feast 
of Tabernacles (Neh. viii : 15). As Jesus, 



Outside of Jerusalem. 271 

advancing, passed over a ridge where the 
descent of the road down the slope of Olivet 
begins, Mount Zion, then crowned with the 
castle of Herod, and the palace of David, comes 
into view, they exclaimed, as they saw the 
palace, " Blessed be the king that cometh in the 
name of the Lord." That this outburst of ap- 
plause was just at this point is evident from the 
words, "When he was come nigh, even now, at 
the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole 
multitude of the disciples began to rejoice, etc." 
(Luke xix : 37). From this point, as you 
advance, you descend a slight declivity, when 
Mount Zion disappears behind an intervening 
ridge. A short distance further, you rise to the 
top of this ridge, when the whole city bursts 
suddenly upon your vision. Here, just at this 
point, it is supposed by many, Jesus paused, 
and in the presence of this vast concourse of 
people, " wept over the city" (v : 41). Having 
carefully looked the ground over, and that more 
than once, I am fully satisfied that this is the 
place where He stood, and uttered that terrible 
prediction that has been so signally fulfilled, 
(verse 42-44) 



272 



Wonders of the East. 



LETTER XXVIII. 

NOETHWAED IN PALESTINE. 

Preparation to leave Jerusalem. — Discourage- 
ments. — Securing a Dragoman. — How to make 
a Contract. — Our Outfit. — Feeling of Sad- 
ness. — Roads. — Site of Nob. — Mizpeh. — 
Gibeon. — Gibeah. 

HAYING spent near two weeks in Jerusa- 
lem, during which time I had, by unre- 
mitting diligence, visited and examined all the 
leading places of interest in the city and its 
vicinity, the time had now arrived for me to 
turn my steps northward up through Samaria 
and Galilee, etc., for the purpose of visiting 
the various places of Bible interest in that direc- 
tion. This journey, under the circumstances," 
was no small undertaking. The only mode of 
conveyance is on horse-back, as there are no 
carriages or wagons of any kind in this country. 
The journey itself would require a number of 
clays for its accomplishment. The season of the 
year was also unpropitious, in consequence of 
which, the American Consul told me it would 
not do for us to take tents with the idea of tent- 
ing out, as we would be liable to heavy rains, 
and that such exposure might imperil my life : 
that, as there were no hotels on the route, I 



Northward in Palestine. 273 



would have to put up each night in a convent, 
or Arab house, as the case might be. In addi- 
tion to all this, unfavorable reports were almost 
constantly reaching Jerusalem, of robberies 
and depredations committed in Samaria and 
Galilee, by roving bands of Bedouins from 
beyond the Jordan. A dragoman, who has 
recently taken a party up through the north of 
Palestine, had, on his return, been robbed and 
murdered, and his mangled corpse left by the 
roadside, while no steps were taken by the gov- 
ernment to arrest and punish his murderers. I 
afterwards passed by the place where his bload 
was still to be seen on the stones. In addition 
to all these untoward circumstances, I also 
learned that if I went, I would have to go com- 
paratively alone. There were four travelers 
beside myself at Jerusalem, two Americans 
and two Englishmen, who had also come thou- 
sands of miles to see this renowned country, 
and who I expected would accompany me up 
through this northern route ; but in consequence 
of these discouraging reports, together with 
other difficulties to be encountered, I could 
not persuade them, or any one of them, to 
embark in what they regarded as so hazardous 
an undertaking. I knew as well as they, that 
there was risk to run in my proposed journey; 
and I knew, also, that the risk would be greater 
in proportion to the smallness of the party. 
But I felt that I could not give up the idea of 



274 



Wo?iders of the East. 



seeing this portion of the Holy Land. I there- 
fore resolved to go without them, remembering 
the old adage, " nothing risked, nothing gained." 

I accordingly at once set about making the 
necessary preparation. I secured a dragoman 
(interpreter and guide) through the kind aid of 
the American Consul. He was rather an intel- 
ligent looking Arab, in the prime of life, and 
known by the pretentious name of Gabriel. 
He would not. however, consent to go unless I 
would hire another man also for better security. 
To this I readily consented, but left it to him to 
procure the services of such a one as could be 
trusted. My dragoman was also to furnish the 
horses, provisions, and bedding,-for so much per 
day, while I was to pay in addition to all this, 
for our lodgings, and all the backsheesh (pres- 
ents), on the route. One-half of the probable 
sum to be paid clown before we started, the 
balance to be paid at the end of the journey. 
Although it is difficult to estimate the amount 
of the laclcsJieesh before hand, it was thought 
that my expenses, according to this programme 
would, in all probability, be not far from seven 
dollars per day, or not over eight at the outside. 
It was further stipulated that in case of storms, 
if I advised not to travel, or was sick and una- 
ble to travel, then their pay was to go on the 
same; but if they refused to travel on that 
account or any other, then during such delay 
their pay was to stop. Having submitted our 



Northward in Palestine. 27$ 



agreement to the American Consul, and learned 
through him more definitely that the agreement 
was fully understood by both parties, it was 
signed and the first payment made. But little 
now remained for me to do but to bid my few 
new acquaintances farewell, in order to be 
ready to start on the following morning. 

1 here wish to say, in this connection, for the 
information of those who contemplate taking 
this trip at some future time, that there are two 
methods of hiring dragomen — some adopting 
one, and some the other ; both having their ad- 
vantages and disadvantages. The first is, to 
hire your dragoman to take you through for a 
certain price. The advantage of this plan is 
that you will be taken through in less time than 
you would otherwise ; so you will save both 
time and money, which are generally important 
to a traveler. The disadvantage is, that you 
will be so hurried over the route that you will 
not be permitted to examine places of interest 
but in the most hurried and unsatisfactory man- 
ner, while all the places lying off the route, 
either to the right or left, you will probably not 
see at all. The second plan is to hire your 
dragoman by the day. The advantage of this 
method is that you will have plenty of time to 
examine all the places of importance without 
hurry; and in the next place you can visit all 
. the places of interest that lie off the route on 
either side. The disadvantages are a consump- 



2/6 



Wonders of the East. 



tion of more time than is necessary, and conse- 
quently a larger expenditure. But you must 
make up your mind, in traveling in this coun- 
try, that you will be cheated more or less. Your 
dragoman will, in all probability, take advan- 
tage of you in either case. Tet I think the lat 
ter plan is preferable. You had better, after 
coming so far at such an expense to see this 
country, submit to some loss of time and addi- 
tional expense rather than to see but part, and 
that too hastily for satisfaction. I fortunately 
hired my dragoman by the day; and after my 
experience, and what I have learned from others 
who have tried both plans, I would do the same 
again if I had occasion. 

I had been quite anxious about the weather; 
but the morning came all-glorious on which 
we were to commence our journey. There was 
not a cloud to be seen. The wind was east, 
which here brings sunshine instead of storm, 
while westerly winds here bring foul weather. 
At the hour appointed, everything being ready, 
myself mounted on a horse, my dragoman on a 
large mule, and the other Arab or muleteer 
astride a donkey, we started from the Oosanova. 
convent, passed out by the Jaffa gate, turned to 
our right, and passed along the western wall to 
its northwest angle, from which point, turning 
still more to the right, we soon fell in with the 
great northern thoroughfare that leads to Sa- . 
maria. Passing the tombs of the kings, we 



Northward in Palestine. 277 



soon gained the summit of the hill Scopas, or 
the watch-tower, as it is sometimes called, which 
is about a mile from the city. This place has 
some interest to the traveler, as it affords a fine 
view of the city, and is, in going north, the last 
point on the road from which Jerusalem can be 
seen. Besides, we are informed by the histo- 
rian, that when Titus came against this city 
with his Roman legions, he took his first 
view of Jerusalem from a watch-tower on this 
hill. 

As I turned my horse around to look at 
the Holy City for the last time, I could not 
help thinking how different must be its ap- 
pearance now, from what it was at that time ! 
Then, it was far more extensive, and was 
adorned with magnificent palaces and with 
its Temple, its chief glory, rising in snowy 
whiteness with its wondrous portico and fretted 
roof of gold, all glittering in the sun as a 
gem of beauty. Then, Jerusalem was 66 the 
joy of the whole earth." Now, however, she 
sitteth solitary under the iron rod of oppres- 
sion, trodden down of the Gentiles. The Ro- 
mans despoiled her of her glory, and laid her 
in the dust. 

From this terrible blow she has never re- 
covered. The prediction of Christ, and the im- 
precation of the Jews: "His blood be on us 
and our children," is seen in her condition with 
terrible distinctness. 

±2 



2/8 



Wonders of the East. 



" Her Troes have come ; her charms have fled, 

Save hill and vale and name ; 
Her Kedron no more leaves its bed. 
Bethesda's healing power is dead, 

And Zion droops in shame." 

Yet, after all, I felt very loth to say to it 
farewell. As I knew I was now about leaving 
it forever, a feeling of sadness came over me, 
mingled with emotions that it would be in vain 
for me to attempt to analyze. I found I had 
formed an attachment and even an affection for 
this wonderful city and its numerous places of 
Bible interest that it seemed very hard to sever. 
And as its massive walls and towers, the dome 
of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Tower 
of David, the Mosque of Omar, the graceful 
minarets of Mohammedan temples, and the nu- 
merous flat domes of dwellings, stood full in 
view, together with its surroundings of pic- 
turesque mountains and valleys, making the 
entire scene one of peculiar interest and en- 
chantment, 1 felt truly sad and sorrowful at the 
thought that I was gazing upon Jerusalem for 
the last time, and that in all probability I 
should see it no more forever. 

As we rode down the northern declivity of 
the hill Scopas, a barren-looking scene of naked 
hills and neglected valleys, except a scattering 
here and there of olive and fig trees, presented 
itself to our view. We saw on every hand the 
same appearance of decay and desolation that 



Northward in Palestine. 279 



we had seen in another direction around the 
city. Bare and ragged limestone rocks and 
loose stones, with which the ground is strewn, 
add to the dreariness of the picture. And yet, 
this country, upon the whole, notwithstanding 
the nakedness of its mountains, looks pictu- 
resque and beautiful. This is owing, in a great 
measure, to the fact that it is very hilly. The 
roads here, as elsewhere in this country, are a 
great novelty to an American, accustomed, as 
we are,* to roads for carriages. They are noth- 
ing more than bridle-paths for camels, horses, 
mules, donkeys, and footmen, as there are no 
wheel vehicles here of any kind. 

Nob. — About an hour's ride from Jerusalem 
brought us to the site of the ancient city of Nob, 
which was destroyed about three thousand years 
ago, where dwelt a portion of the priests. One 
of the most cruel and barbarous acts of Saul's 
life was perpetrated here. Near by, among 
these rocks and hiding-places, Jonathan and 
David had secretly met ; and, during their in- 
terview, Jonathan told David that Saul, his 
father, was bent on his (David's) destruction, 
and that there was no safety for him but in 
flight. After having embraced each other amid 
mutual tears that told of the deep emotion 
within, and kissed each other an affectionate 
farewell, they separated, Jonathan returning to 
his father's house at Gibeah, which was but a 



m 



280 



Wonders of the East. 



short distance, and David, entering the city of 
Nob, goes to the priest Ahimelech for assist- 
ance. By a most ingenious story he deceived 
Ahimelech so as to secure a supply of bread 
and the sword of Goliath, and immediately de- 
parted. A servant of Saul, Doeg by name, an 
Edomite, who chanced to be present and wit- 
nessed the assistance that the priest gave to 
David, reported the whole affair to Saul, who 
became exasperated in the extreme, and imme- 
diately summoned Ahimelech and all the priests 
of Nob before him. In vain did Ahimelech 
protest his innocence and his loyalty to the king. 
Saul, in a passion, said : " Thou shalt surely die, 
Ahimelech,- thou and all thy father's house. 
And the king said unto the footmen that stood 
about him : Turn, and slay the priests of the 
Lord, because their hand is also with David, 
and because they knew when he fled and did 
not show it to me. But the servants of the 
king would not put forth their hands to fall 
upon the priests of the Lord. And the king 
said to Doeg : Turn thou, and fall upon the 
priests. And Doeg, the Edomite, turned, and 
he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day 
fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen 
ephod. And Nob, the city of the priests, smote 
he with the edge of the sword, both men and 
women, children and sucklings, and oxen and 
asses and sheep, with the edge of the sword " 
(1 Sam. xxii : 16-19). The site of this ancient 



Northward in Palestine. 281 



city is a very pleasant one, somewhat elevated 
and sloping to the south. Nothing now, how- 
ever, remains of the city, except a profusion of 
stones strewed over some three or four acres of 
ground that once belonged to the buildings. 

Mizpeh. — A short distance further brought 
us to Mizpeh, which is northwest by north 
from Jerusalem, about five miles. Its name 
signifies "a place of lookout," and accordingly, 
it is one of the highest points in this vicinity. 
The hill upon which it is situated rises abruptly 
to five or six hundred feet above the plain. In 
fact my dragoman told me that this peak was 
the highest point in Southern Palestine, and 
commands a more extensive view than any 
other. It is an old place, and belonged to the 
tribe of Benjamin. This was a great central 
gathering-place in the times of the judges, to 
hear the law, and for judgment (Judges xx : 1-3, 
xxi : 1). Here the prophet Samuel lived for a 
long time, hence its present name, "Neby 
(prophet) Samuel." Near here, between Miz- 
peh and Shen, after a signal victory obtained 
by the Israelites over the Philistines, when the 
Almighty scattered and destroyed the latter by 
the lightnings of heaven, Samuel took a stone 
and set it up, and called the name of it Ebene- 
zer, saying, " Hitherto hath the Lord helped us." 
(1 Sam. vii : 10-12). 

In Mizpeh, Saul was designated as king of 



282 



Wonders of the East. 



Israel. This place was fortified by King Asa, 
as a defence against Israel (1 Kings xv : 22). 
Whatever it may have been in former times, it 
is but a small affair now. Not more than, 
perhaps, some fifteen old tumbled-down misera- 
ble looking stone-houses, with an old ruin of a 
mosque in their midst, constitute the whole of 
the present village. About a mile further due 
north, brought us to 

Gibeois". — This was a very ancient city, and 
was the capitol of the Hivites at the time that 
the Israelites entered the land of Canaan. Its 
subsequent history has made it a place of special 
interest to travelers. Here occurred in the 
time of Joshua, one of the most remarkable 
circumstances on record — a miracle of the most 
stupendous character. After the overthrow of 
Jericho and Ai, the inhabitants of Gibeon, by 
dressing themselves up in old worn-out garments 
and shoes, and packing their sack with musty 
bread, etc., visited Joshua at Gilgal, and suc- 
ceeded in beguiling him into a treaty of peace. 
Accordingly, the five kings of the Amorites 
came up against Gibeon with their armies and 
besieged it, to chastise them for their alliance 
with Joshua. Information of this was imme- 
diately sent to Joshua, coupled with a request 
to come up quickly and save them. Joshua at 
once set out with his army to their rescue, and 
marching all night, came upon the besiegers 



Northward in Palestine. 



283 



suddenly ; and here, on this adjoining plain on 
the east side of the city, the great battle was 
fought in which Joshua " slew them with a 
great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them 
along the way," and as they fled, the Lord cast 
down great stones from heaven upon them," so 
that there " were more which died of hailstones 
than they whom the children of Israel slew." 
Besides all this, in the midst of this great 
slaughter, Joshua exclaimed, " Sun, stand thou 
still upon Gibeon, and thou moon in the valley 
of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the 
moon stayed, until the people had avenged 
themselves upon their enemies," (Josh, x : 3-14). 
Gibeon was afterwards made a Levitical city 
(Josh, xxi : 17). The tabernacle, which was 
made by Moses in the wilderness, after having 
been set up at Gilgal, and then at Shiloh, was 
finally set up here, and here it stood in the time 
of Solomon (2 Chron. 1 : 3). The ark had long 
been separated from it, and was at this very 
time at Jerusalem. As the tabernacle was 
here, when last spoken of, and as it had ceased 
to be used for the ark, it probably perished here. 

Omitting several minor occurrences of battles 
and assassinations, etc., that have occurred here, 
we come to one of the most pompous and im- 
posing religious ceremonies of which we have 
any account outside of Jerusalem. Here Solo- 
mon offered in sacrifice a thousand burnt-offer- 
ings at one time ; and here on the following 



284 



Wonders of the East. 



night, the Lord communed with young King 
Solomon, and gave him superior wisdom and 
understanding (1 Kings iii : 4-12.) 

Gibeon, now called El-jib, which was once a 
great city, is nothing now but a poor, misera- 
ble Arab village, the old dilapidated houses of 
which are little less than frightful hovels. 
What a sad relic of departed greatness and 
glory ! Yet around it stretches out one of the 
most fertile and beautiful plains in all this 
section of country. Nearly east from here, and 
not much over a mile, we came to 

Gibeah of Saul. — This is noted as the birth- 
place of Saul, the first king of Israel, Here he 
had his home, and here he held his seat of em- 
pire during the greater part of his reign. Here 
the cruel tragedy of the concubine occurred 
which came so near resulting in the destruction 
of the tribe of Benjamin. (Judges xx and xxi). 
Here seven of the descendants of Saul were 
hung by the Gibeonites in revenge for the 
slaughter of their brethren by his direction. We 
have in this account one of the most touching 
incidents of the fidelity and tenderness of a 
mother that is anywhere to be found. Two of 
the seven that were hung, and were left to rot 
upon the gallows, were the sons of Kizpah. 
This bereaved mother watched the wasting 
skeletons of her sons u from the beginning of 
the harvest, until water dropped upon them out 



Northwest through Palestine. 285 



of heaven, and suffered neither the birds of the 
air to rest on them by day, nor the beasts of 
the field by night" — a period, from harvest in 
April to the rains in autumn, of at least near 
six months. "What an agony of grief must this 
poor woman have endured ! 

The site of this ancient place is pleasant. It 
is on the top of a rounded hill, which is covered 
with heaps of old moss-covered ruins. This is 
all that is now left this once royal city. 



NORTHWEST THROUGH PALESTINE. 

Northwest through Palestine. — Ramah.— Be- 
thel. — Its Ruins. — What it now is. — 
The Country. — Farming. — The Mountains. — 
Arabs. — Old Paths. — Old Customs. — Fields 
and Vineyards. 

"T3ASSING on f rom Gibeah, we soon came to 



JL Ramah, of Benjamin. As ramah signi- 
fies eminence, or hill, there are several places 
in this country by this name. This, however, 
is the principal Ramah of the Bible, and is on 
the direct road from Jerusalem to Samaria. 
Being near the boundary line between Judah 
and Israel, it was anciently a fortified town. 



LETTER XXIX. 




286 



Wonders of the East. 



The site of this old city is the top of a conical 
hill, where there is now a small dilapidated 
looking old village, almost deserted. The hill 
top is covered with a profusion of hewn stones, 
many of them large, and some of them beveled ; 
while here and there are seen fragments of 
broken columns, etc. These tell of the long 
past, and of the mighty changes time has 
wrought. But amid all her desolation, Ramah 
will ever be memorable dfe the birth-place of 
the Prophet Samuel. And here he seems to 
have spent the latter part of his days, and here 
he died, and was buried (1 Sam. xxviii : 3); 
and somewhere here, not far perhaps from 
where I now stand, his dust reposes, awaiting 
the resurrection of the last day. What a place 
for reflection! What marvelous associations 
crowd upon the mind as we stand amid such 
renowned historic surroundings, as cluster here 
within a circle of a few miles ! Yonder, across 
those plains, in a south-westerly direction, some 
three miles perhaps away, rises the hill Mizpeh, 
where Samuel so long lived, and judged Israel. 
In a south-east direction from Ramah, about the 
same distance, is the site of Gibeah, where 
King Saul held his throne. While about a 
mile north of Mizpeh is the site of Gibeon. 
No wonder in SauPs deviation from the path of 
rectitude, he always so speedily heard from the 
Prophet Samuel. They were actually neigh- 
bors. For whether he lived in Mezpeh or 



Northwest through Palestine. 287 

at Ramah, he was equally near the royal 
city. 

Resuming our journey, we soon passed the 
supposed site of ancient Ai, leaving it a short 
distance off to our right. Ai, it will be remem- 
bered, was the second city captured by Joshua 
in his subjugation of this country. 

Hurrying on over intolerable roads, or rather 
paths, we at length came to 

Bethel. — There were but few places in all 
this section that I had more desired to see than 
this. Its history is a history of wonderful 
events, that have made it familiar with all Bible 
readers, and which have made Bethel a house- 
hold word in every Christian land ; while its 
historical associations and reminiscences are 
calculated to stimulate the best emotions of the 
human heart. Here Abraham, on his first 
journey through this land, pitched his tent, 
while it was, as yet, called Luz. Here he built 
an altar, and called upon the name of the 
Lord. Three years after he and Lot came up 
out of Egypt with much cattle, &c, and again 
encamped here. On some one of these surround- 
ing plains, where their herds were grazing, the 
quarrel originated between the herdmen of 
Abraham and Lot, when good old Abraham, 
with a magnanimity that will forever speak of 
his superior excellence, said unto Lot, " Let 
there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and 



288 



Wonders of the East. 



thee, arid between my herdsmen and thy herds- 
men; for we are brethren. Is not the whole 
land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, 
from me. If thou wilt take the left hand, then 
I will go to the right ; or, if thou depart to the 
right hand, then I will go to the left." From 
this eminence, Lot surveyed the country, and 
selfishly selected the Plains of the Jordan. 
Here, subsequently, one of the most remarka- 
ble revelations of the interposition of angels 
was made to Jacob, when he was on his way to 
Haran, that has ever been known. The impres- 
sive story of the " ladder " will never cease to 
thrill the soul, and encourage believers in all 
ages and climes. It will ever continue to fas- 
cinate the young, and instruct the old, while 
the human heart shall love the sublime and the 
heavenly. Here, wearied with a long and toil- 
some journey, Jacob stopped for the night. He 
took a stone for a pillow, and lay himself down 
in the open air to sleep. Here he dreamed 
that he saw a ladder with one 'end resting on 
the earth, the other reaching up into heaven, 
upon which angels were ascending and descend- 
ing, while at the top stood the Almighty ad- 
dressing him, and giving him encouragement. 
No wonder that, when he awoke, he exclaimed, 
" Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew 
it not." " How dreadful is this place ! This is 
none other but the house of God, and this is the 
gate of heaven ; " " and he called the name of 



Northwest through Palestine. 289 

the place Bethel (house of God), which was 
called Luz at the first. (Gen. xxyiii : 10-19.) 

After thirty years of absence, Jacob returned 
to Bethel, and here lived, and erected an altar 
to God. Here " Deborah, Rebecca's nurse, 
died, and she was buried beneath Bethel, under 
an oak tree." Here the ark of the covenant, 
and, probably the tabernacle, remained a long 
time. Here, too, Samuel held his court in turn, 
as we learn from Sam. vii : 16. 

After the separation of the ten tribes from 
Rehoboam, which took place at Solomon's 
death, Jeroboam, their king, fearing to have his 
people go up to J erusalem to worship, lest they 
might learn to desire a reunion, built a magni- 
ficent temple at Bethel, and set up in it a golden 
calf, in consequence of which its name was 
changed from Bethel to Beth-awn (house of 
idols). The idolatry of Jeroboam brought upon 
him and upon Bethel the displeasure of God ; 
and while he stood officiating at the altar, a 
prophet, who was commissioned by God, sud- 
denly appeared, and pronounced a curse upon 
the altar, upon which Jeroboam called upon his 
attendants to lay hold upon him, and as he 
reached forth his own Jiand to seize him, his 
hand was withered, "so that he could not pull 
it in again to himself" (1 Kings xiii: 1-5). 
Here, too, that same prophet, who lost his life 
on that very occasion through disobedience, was 
buried (vii : 32). I could not help but think in 



2go 



Wonders of the East. 



this connection, that in all probability it was 
owing to the demoralizing influence of idolatry 
upon the inhabitants of Bethel, that led the 
children of this place to mock the prophet 
Elisha, in consequence of which forty-two of 
them were destroyed by bears. (2 Kings ii : 
23-24). 

Bethel is about twelve miles north, of Jerusa- 
lem, on the east side of the old road to Shechem, 
and on the southern slope of a hill, with a nar- 
row fertile valley on its east, and a valley on its 
west. There is an area of some, perhaps, four 
acres or more, that is covered with stones that 
have once entered into the construction of an- 
cient buildings. You see a number of founda- 
tions, and low racked walls of houses. On the 
highest part is an ancient square tower, partly 
fallen. Not far from this are the ragged re- 
mains of a church, that seems to have been built 
inside of the foundation of some larger structure. 
At the foot of the hill, thus strewed with ruins, 
is a venerable relic in the shape of a large reser- 
voir, which is three hundred and fourteen feet 
long, and two hundred and seventeen wide, now 
partly filled up with earth. One side is consid- 
erably broken, and sgme portions of it have 
fallen. The other side, however, is nearly en- 
tire. All of these ruins attest the importance 
of Bethel in the days of her prosperity. In fact, 
under the great-grandson of Jehu, Jeroboam II., 
Bethel became a royal city, so that here were 



Northwest through Palestine. 291 

palaces both for " winter " and " summer," 
" great houses," and " houses of ivory " (Amos 
iii : 15), proving that here were both wealth and 
luxury. But her idolatry became her ruin. 
Three hundred and fifty years after the prophet 
had foretold her doom, King Josiah laid her 
glory in the dust (2 Kings xxiii : 15). 

Look at Bethel no w ! Among these old foun- 
dations, half standing walls, and heaps of stone, 
are some twenty or more miserable huts built 
out of the material of the old city. Their 
inmates are both ragged and dirty, and seemed 
to stare at us with wonder, while some of them, 
and especially the children, became very cla- 
morous for bucksheesh. 

From here we set out for Shiloh, a distance 
of ten miles. Although it is mid-winter (Jan- 
uary), the weather is pleasant. There has been 
no frost, and I am told it is a very rare thing to 
have any. All around the farmers are plowing 
and sowing their winter grain. Plowing is 
principally done now, as in former times, by 
oxen. The land in the vicinity of Bethel seems 
to be more productive than around Jerusalem. 
Flocks of sheep and goats are seen here and 
there on the hill-sides, or in the valleys, attended 
generally by a male, but sometimes by a female. 
One of the strange features of this country is its 
utter destitution of timber. The hills and 
mountains are entirely bare for at least fifteen 
miles from Jerusalem in every direction. I do 



292 



Wonders of the East. 



not believe that there is as much as a bush to 
be seen, even upon the mountains, within that 
distance of the Holy City, except it be fruit 
trees, or something of that kind. Not only has 
this section been entirely skinned, so to speak, 
of everything in the form of wood, but even the 
grubs and roots have been gotten out for fuel, 
so that there is nothing for bushes to sprout 
from. Hence, people traverse the mountains 
here with nearly the same facility as they do 
the valleys. I have seen in several instances 
what to me was a very novel sight, persons 
walking upon the very top of some adjacent hill 
or mountain range, so that their entire form, 
down to their feet, stood up distinctly against 
the clear blue sky, so that even their feet were 
visible as they walked, reminding me in a very 
impressive manner of the exclamation of the 
prophet Isaiah, " How beautiful upon the moun- 
tains are the feet of him that bringeth good tid- 
ings, that publisheth peace ; that bringeth good 
tidings of good ; that publisheth salvation ; that 
sayeth unto Zion thy God reigneth I" (Isaiah 
lii : 7). In no other country that I have ever 
seen could such an illustration of this Scripture 
be witnessed. 

On our route we met with many Arab men 
and women, probably on their way to Jerusa- 
lem. Some were on foot, and others on don- 
keys. One thing will soon impress the mind of 
a traveler as he becomes familiar with the cus- 



Northwest through Palestine. 293 



toms of society, namely, the cruel manner in 
which the women of this country are treated. 
They are constantly made to feel their menial 
condition. In introductions and salutations, the 
man must be introduced or spoken to first, and 
the woman last. 

Wherever you meet a man and his wife along 
the road with a bundle, or something of the 
kind to carry, the wife is sure to be the carrier. 
She must bear the burden, whatever it may be. 
If they chance to have a donkey between them, 
the man generally rides, while his wife trudges 
along on foot behind him. 

In every case you see the woman following 
on behind the man, as a woman is not permitted 
to precede a man under any circumstances. In 
entering a dwelling, or traveling along the road, 
whether on foot or on horseback, she must 
acknowledge her inferiority by keeping in the 
rear. As there are no side-saddles in this coun- 
try, the women are permitted to ride in the 
same manner as do the men. This they do 
without the slightest thought of exhibiting a 
want of modesty. 

We also met a large caravan of loaded camels. 
Marching in single file, as their custom is, they 
formed a long line. This arrangement here, 
however, becomes necessary, owing to the nar- 
rowness of the roads. These paths, by the by, 
for they are only paths, are among the notice- 
able features of the country, and cannot fail to 



2 9 4 



Wonders of the East. 



impress the mind of every traveler. Such paths 
are to be found, I presume, nowhere else on the 
globe. Here many of them have been for the 
last 3,000 or 4,000 years, and almost constantly, 
during all that period, have been pressed with 
the feet of camels, donkies, horses, as well as 
the feet of human beings. The result is, they 
are not only old paths, but deeply-worn paths ; - 
even where they pass over surface rock, they 
are in many cases worn down in the rock from 
six to twelve inches deep. On speaking to. 
G-abrael, my dragoman, about it, he said that 
this circumstance greatly assisted one in finding 
his way from one city, or place, to another ; that 
when any one undertook to go some other route 
that might be nearer, and lost his way, the pro- 
per course was to seek for the old rock-worn 
path. Little did he think that in the presenta- 
tion of this fact he was furnishing me with the 
basis of an important enunciation of Jeremiah, 
" Thus saith,the Lord, stand ye in the ways and 
see, and ask for the old paths," etc. (vi : 16). It 
is truly wonderful to see with what tenacity this 
people adhere to old customs and usages. Not 
only the roads, but their houses, their manners, 
their costumes, and their pursuits, remain much 
the same as they were two thousand years ago. 
They still live in cities and villages exclusively, 
and build them upon hills instead of in valleys. 
They still speak of the third, sixth, and ninth 
hour of the day, for nine, twelve, and three 



Northward through Palestine. 295 

o'clock. They still count from sunset to sunset, 
as they did in the days of Christ. They still 
attend their flocks, and water them at these old 
wells, as in ancient times. Every now and then 
you meet with some traveler, either on foot 
with a staff in his hand, or mounted on a camel, 
or donkey, attended by servants or guides, all 
clothed in the peculiar loose, flowing robes of 
the east. Now a shepherd with a flock of sheep 
and goats by the wayside — here a group of 
maidens going to, or returning from some neigh- 
boring well or fountain, bearing water pitchers 
upon their heads. If you would get a drink of 
water from one of these wells, you must apply 
to a woman, as our Saviour did at Jacob's well, 
for they are still the drawers and carriers of 
water, and there are no conveniences by which 
you can help yourself. 

We are now in the section of country formerly 
occupied by the tribe of Ephraim, and which is 
embraced in the district of Samaria. The gene- 
ral appearance of the country is much the same 
as in the vicinity of J erusalem, except there are 
unmistakable evidences of greater fertility. Our 
pathway still leads us meandering along the de- 
clivity of hills, through valleys, amid unenclosed, 
and, in many cases, neglected farms; none of 
the fields have fences of any kind around them, 
except vineyards, fig orchards, and such like. 
These are not only protected by stone walls or 
hedges, but generally there is in each fruit field, 



296 



Wonders of the East. 



also, a watch tower, from ten to twenty feet 
high, from the top of which a person watches 
day and night at the time of the ripening of the 
fruit, to prevent the depredation of thieves. It 
was undoubtedly to this custom that Jesus re- 
ferred in the parable in which he says, " There 
was a certain householder which planted a vine- 
yard, and hedged it round about, and digged a 
wine press in it, and built a tower," etc. (Matt, 
xxi : 33). 



LETTER XXX. 

NORTHWARD IN PALESTINE. 

Shiloh. — Plain of Moreh. — JacoVs Well. — 
Tomb of Joseph. — Valley of Shechem. — 
Mount Gerizim and Eial.- — City of She- 
chem. — City of Samaria. — Its Extensive 
Ruins. — Rough Roads. — Plowing and Sow- 
ing. 

A SHORT distance to the east from the 
main road to Shechem, on a low hill 
rising up in an uneven plain, of about a quarter 
of a mile in width, which contains a scattering 
of olive trees, and which is hemmed in with 
higher hills, except on the south, stood old an- 
cient Shiloh, now called Seilun. This is twenty- 



Northward in Palestine. 297 



four miles from Jerusalem, and is said to be the 
very centre of Palestine, and it is thought that 
it was for this very reason chosen as the most 
suitable place for the tabernacle and central 
service of the nation. Here Joshua assembled 
the tribes of Israel, and here completed the 
division and distribution of the land. Here the 
Tabernacle services were held for four hundred 
years, which was, perhaps, the best and the 
purest period of their history. Here Eli, the 
high priest, lived. Here Samuel, the prophet, 
was brought up in the services of the Taberna- 
cle, and here he began to prophecy. From here 
the ark was taken, and placed at the head of 
the army, contrary to all precedent, and cap- 
tured by the Philistines, the news of which re- 
sulted in Eli's death. Here, too, dwelt the Pro- 
phet Ahizah, who foretold the doom of Jero- 
boam, as well as the death of his child. (Kings 
xiv : 2-12). 

But, oh, how changed from what it once 
was! It is now a place of utter desolation, 
without a single inhabitant. Its ruins are 
scattered over the ground in promiscuous con- 
fusion. Among them stands the partly fallen 
walls of a building, perhaps erected by the 
Crusaders. The stones are hewn. The lower 
parts of the walls have been built in the form of 
a buttress, or in a brace-like form from without, 
giving them great strength and durability. 
Aside from this, and scattering building stones, 



298 Wonders of the East. 



and an aged oak, there is nothing now to mark 
the site of ancient Shiloh. 

Some two and a half hours' ride from this 
point brought us to the celebrated plain of 
Moreh 3 which stretches out some twelve miles 
from north to south, and about four miles in 
width. On the western side of this spacious 
valley, near its centre, opens up the valley of 
Shechem, which intersects it nearly at right 
angles. Just at the mouth of this valley is lo- 
cated the renowned piece of ground that Jacob 
bought of " the children of Hamor, Shechem's 
father, for a hundred pieces of money* 7 (Gen. 
xxxiii : 19). And on this plot of ground is 
located 

Jacob's "Well— Among the many interest- 
ing localities of the Holy Land, Jacob's Well 
will ever continue to hold a prominent position. 
It is one of the most venerable monuments of 
the patriarchal times, as well as one of the 
earliest connected with their history. But that 
which has rendered it preeminently famous, 
and forever endeared it to every Christian heart, 
is its association with our Lord. As Jesus was 
journeying from Judea to Galilee, he reached 
this well " about the sixth hour" (noon) of the 
clay. "Weary with his journey, hungry and 
thirsty, he sat himself down to rest by its side, 
just as travelers halt now at noon by some well 
or fountain. While his disciples were gone to 



Northward in Palestine. 299 



the city to buy food for their midday repast, a 
woman of Samaria came to draw water. At a 
glance she saw the stranger was a Jew ; and 
remembering the long-cherished enmity and 
hatred between the Jews and Samaritans, she 
does not seem to have extended to him any of 
the common courtesies of life. His dusty gar- 
ments, his weary look and parched lips, elicit 
no response from her. And even when Jesus 
said unto her : " Give me to drink," she in as- 
tonishment said : u How is it that thou, being a 
Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of 
Samaria?" Her astonishment, however, was 
very soon increased at his evident sympathy 
and kindness toward her, his grave and gentle 
demeanor, and especially at his singular fa- 
miliarity with her past history. " Sir," said 
she, "I perceive that tbou art a prophet. Our 
fathers worshiped in this mountain (pointing to 
Mount Gerizen that stood right before them, on 
the top of which are still to be seen the remains 
of their ancient temple*), but ye say that in Je- 
rusalem is the place where men ought to wor- 
ship ;" thus most adroitly turning the conversa- 
tion from her unpleasant domestic relations, to 
the old controversy upon which Jesus made that 
important announcement: "The hour cometh 



* The main edifice was two hundred and forty-one feet 
by two hundred and fifty-five. Its crumbling walls are 
about six feet thick, and from seven to fifteen feet high. 



300 Wonders of the East. 

when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet 
at Jerusalem, worship the Father." " But the 
hour cometh, and now is, when the true wor- 
shipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in 
truth," etc. (John iv : 3-30). 

The well itself has been excavated with an 
immense amount of labor. It is dug all the 
way through solid rock, and is nine feet in 
diameter, and ninety feet deep. At its mouth 
is excavated a chamber fifteen feet square, and 
ten feet deep, which has been walled up and 
arched over, so that there were two openings or 
mouths ; an upper one through the arch, and 
the lower one from the bottom of the chamber. 
This, 1 suppose, will account for the discrepancy 
in the statements of different travelers as to its 
depth, some measuring from the upper, and 
others from the lower mouth, the latter giving 
but eighty. At present there is a stone column 
laid across the lower opening, upon which large 
stones are laid, thus closing it up. Besides, a 
part of the arch above has fallen. There is, 
however, a small opening between the stones, 
through which a small vessel could be let down 
by a cord, and water obtained. But as the 
woman of Samaria was not there, or any other, 
I was unable to taste the water. There is 
around the well the foundation of a large build- 
ing that once enclosed and covered this sacred 
spot. I felt loth to leave the place, and it was 
only when Gabriel expressed impatience at my 



Northward in Palestine. 301 

delay, that I reluctantly turned away from this 
enchanted spot. 

Joseph's Tomb. — About two hundred yards, 
or such a matter, from Jacob's Well, directly 
north, is the Tomb of Joseph, who was Prime 
Minister of Egypt. In approaching the sepul- 
chre, you enter a small square area enclosed by 
a whitewashed stone wall. Across one end of 
this is a sort of Mohammedan Mosque, within 
which is the tomb where the bones of Joseph 
were deposited by the Israelites on their arrival 
from Egypt, and where they still repose. Joseph 
was undoubtedly one of the most remarkable 
men that lived in ancient times. His virtue, 
integrity, and faith, were of the highest type. 
When about to die he exacted of the children 
of Israel an oath, that when they departed from 
Egypt, " They should carry up his bones from 
hence." Accordingly, two hundred years after 
his death, "The bones of Joseph, which the 
children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, 
buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground 
which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor, the 
father of Shechem, for a hundred pieces of 
silver" (Josh, xxiv : 32). Never before had I 
stood beside a tomb so ancient and venerable as 
this. For three thousand years his bones have 
here reposed. Jews and Samaritans, Moham- 
medans and Christians, alike approach this 
sacred spot, with solemn awe and veneration. 



302 



Wonders of the East. 



On the mosque and tomb are inscribed thou- 
sands of names in various languages of those 
who have visited this tomb. 

The Yalley of Shechem, as has already been 
stated, opens up directly from the Yalley of 
Moreh, and runs nearly a northwest course for 
some three miles. It is said to be the most 
fertile valley in all Samaria, and is filled with 
beautiful gardens and orchards, that yield a 
great variety of fruits. The valley is well 
watered with springs, some of which are large ; 
and it is upon its many fountains, rills, and 
water-courses, that are murmuring on every 
side, that much of its beauty depends. This 
valley is about five hundred yards wide, with 
Mount Ebal on its north, and Mount Gerizim 
on the south, each rising about one thousand 
feet high, with steep, but terraced and culti- 
vated slopes. Here the tribes of Israel were 
directed to assemble to hear the blessing and 
cursing, the former from Mount Gerizim and 
the latter from Mount Ebal ; and, accordingly, 
here the most august assemblage was congre- 
gated under Joshua, that has ever been con- 
vened in any age or nation, for the purpose of 
hearing the law. Six tribes stood on the side of 
Mount Gerizim, and six on Mount Ebal, while 
Joshua and the priests occupied the intermedi- 
ate valley from which the law was read. As 
its blessings were read aloud in the presence of 



Northward in Palestine. 303 



the whole nation, the hundreds of thousands on 
Mount Gerizim responded with one united, loud, 
prolonged cmen> that rolled across the valley 
like the roar of the mighty waters ; and then as 
the curses were read, the same response came 
from the six tribes on the side of Mount Ebal 
(Deut. xxvii : xxviii ; Josh, xxiv : 1). On Mount 
Gerizim the Samaritans claimed that Abraham 
offered Isaac, and not upon Mount Moriah, as 
the Jews affirmed, which led to a long and 
bitter controversy between them, and to which 
the woman of Samaria referred in her inter- 
view with Christ. 

Passing up the valley a short distance from 
its entrance, we came to 

The City of Shechem. — In the New Testa- 
ment it is called Sy char, but at present is known 
by the name of Nablous. It is very beautifully 
located at the highest point in the vallej 7 , on its 
southern side, partly up the sloping base of 
Mount Gerizim. It has a population of from 
eis;ht to ten thousand. The streets are narrow, 
crooked, and filthy. The houses are stone, and 
although not fine, are high and well built. 
Here I spent the night, and during the evening 
we had some Turkish music from a military 
camp just outside of the city walls, with which 
my two Arab guides seemed perfectly delighted, 
but which was certainly of a very ordinary 
character. 



304 



Wonders of the East, 



City of Samaeia. — -On the following morning 
we resumed our journey. From Shechem 
(Xablous), two or three hours' ride about a 
northwest course brought us to Samaria. The 
site of this city is very fine. It consists of a 
very large, isolated, oval shaped hill, rising by 
successive terraces to an elevation of some six 
hundred feet above the surrounding valleys. 
Samaria dates back to a remote period. It was 
a celebrated city one thousand years before the 
Christian era, and was for centuries the capital 
of the ten tribes of Israel, and so continued 
until they were carried away into captivity. 
During the twenty-jive centuries that have 
elapsed since that event, its history has been 
checkered by remarkable changes. Stormed, 
and captured, and devastated by victorious 
armies on various occasions, although rebuilt as 
often, yet, at each succeeding capture, more 
wasted and ruined, until now there is nothing 
left but an insignificant village, except its ruins, 
to mark the site of this once proud and opulent 
city. Its remains, however, tell of its former 
grandeur. Its columns and colonnades are sup- 
posed to date back at least to the time of Herod, 
who adorned it with many stately edifices. On 
the topmost terrace are sixteeen large columns, 
standing, while many others are lying prostrate. 
They are thought by some to have belonged to 
the great temple of Baal, where the prophets of 
Baal had their headquarters. It is certain, at 



Northward in Palestine. 305 



all events, that Ahab had such a temple built 
in this place (1 Kings xvi : 32). And it is 
also certain that, when Jehu destroyed the 
house of Ahab, he had all the prophets of Baal 
called together in the temple 6f Samaria, and 
then slew them. On the northeast side of the 
hill, low down in a sort of recess, stands another 
group of fifteen columns. But on the south 
side is the largest number. There, on a broad 
terrace which descends toward the east, is a 
long colonnade. I counted no less than sixty- 
nine columns standing at this point, besides a 
large number that had fallen. Some of these 
were entire, others were broken. In fact, the 
whole place is covered with the ruins and rub- 
bish of the former city. Perhaps one of the 
most noted occurrences of this place, was the 
imprisonment and subsequent beheading of 
John the Baptist, by Herod. My guide pointed 
out to me his tomb, which is guarded by Mo- 
hammedans with zealous care. The inhabi- 
tants have the appearance of being very poor, 
as rags and filth are well nigh universal. They 
were so clamorous for backsheesh that I was 
glad when I had got beyond their reach. 

As we journeyed northward our narrow zig- 
zag pathway led us through romantic defiles, up 
rugged hills, and then down steep declivities, 
which at times led over smooth surface rock, or 
a bed of clay, wet and slippery with the run- 
ning water of some adjacent spring, where my 



3o6 



Wonders of the East. 



horse would slip and slide in the most provok- 
ing style, endangering life and limb if I at- 
tempted to ride ; or if I led him down such 
steep places, as I generally did, I was fearful 
every minute that my horse would slide, or 
pitch or stumble headlong upon me. Such un- 
pleasant portions of the road, however, were 
generally succeeded by pleasant plains, some- 
times of miles in extent. 

The general appearance of the country here 
is much the same as near Jerusalem, except the 
hills and mountains are more generally covered 
with bushes, and consequently not so barren in 
appearance, while the valleys are broader, and 
the land better. The tillers of the soil are here, 
as elsewhere, plowing and sowing their winter 
grain. This to me has been a very interesting 
matter indeed. I have seen, day after day, a 
very impressive illustration of the parable of 
Christ, where he says, " A sower went out to 
sow, etc." Here the roads or paths lead 
through unfenced fields, so that as the husband- 
man sows the grain, some of it necessarily falls 
by the roadside, and is trodden under foot by 
the passers-by, while flocks of sparrows are 
flying around, ready to light and devour every 
kernel that is left uncovered. Besides, the uni- 
versal thorn-bush, which grows some ten or 
twelve inches high, is not only seen on hill and 
mountain, but in the valleys, along the margin 
of the fields, beside ledges of rocks, and where- 



From Samaria to Galilee. 307 



ever there is the least chance for it to take root ; 
although plowed up in sowing time, it immedi- 
ately springs up again from the roots and chokes 
the wheat. These, together with occasional 
stony places or rocks just below the surface, in 
consequence of which the grain or blade, 
though springing up luxuriantly at first, soon 
withers away for the want of moisture, mar 
many a field ; but at the same time furnishes a 
beautiful solution to this instructive parable, 
and also shows with what facility our Saviour 
in the days of his flesh seized upon surrounding 
objects, with which his hearers were familiar, to 
teach and illustrate important truths of the 
Gospel. This undoubtedly was one reason why 
the common people heard him gladly. 



LETTEK XXXI. 

FKOM SAMARIA TO GALILEE. 

GdbrieVs Mishap. — The Muleteer's Adventure. 
Dothan. — Reflections. — Mount Hermon. 

ON our journey from Samaria to Dothan, we 
had quite an interesting adventure in 
descending one of the steep mountain slopes 
that are so common in this country. In view of 



308 



Wonders of the Last, 



the steepness of the descent, I dismounted my 
horse for the purpose of walking down, and 
leading him, as did also the muleteer his don- 
key, Gabriel, my dragoman, however, deter- 
mined to ride down ; more, perhaps, to show us 
his superior courage and horsemanship, than 
anything else. All went on very well until we 
had descended nearly two-thirds of the way 
down, when Gabriel's mule stumbled and fell 
headlong to the ground, pitching him headfore- 
most over the animal's head, to the imminent 
risk of breaking his neck. Poor Gabriel came 
to the ground all in a heap, as did also the mule 
just behind him. It was certainly a most comi- 
cal scene ! I wish I could have had it photo- 
graphed just as it occurred. There lay Gabriel 
groaning and cursing the beast in unmeasured 
terms of reproach and condemnation, declaring 
that he would not ride the " dirty" beast another 
day, while a few feet from him lay the mule, 
with her back down hill, while her feet were 
moving most vigorously in the air, in which 
predicament she was, of course, unable to rise. 
The muleteer, who was just ahead, in the mean- 
time left his donkey, and ran back to Gabriel's 
assistance, whom he found, on helping him up, 
was more scared than hurt. The mule, also, 
after being partly dragged or turned around so 
as to bring her feet down hill, got up without 
any difficulty, and apparently not much the 
worse for her fall, save a cut in one knee. 



From Samaria to Galilee. 309 



Gabriel, however, somewhat complained and 
limped around in quite a comical way. 

During the whole of this novel affair, espe- 
cially after I saw that my dragoman was not 
seriously hurt, I was so convulsed with laugh- 
ter at the ridiculousness of the scene, that I ex- 
pected I would certainly incur his displeasure 
by my seeming heartless levity. I tried my 
best to look serious, as I knew I ought to under 
the circumstances, especially whenever his eyes 
were upon me, but the more I tried the more 
difficult it appeared. I really felt provoked at 
myself, and yet my pent up risibilities every 
now and then would break through whatever 
restraint I could muster. The evident suppress- 
ed levity of the muleteer only added to my 
difficulty. Gabriel's patience was evidently 
tried. I apologized to him the best I could, 
but he still looked serious, which, somehow or 
other, only provoked my mirth the more. I 
was, however, soon greatly relieved of my em- 
barrassment by a new turn of affairs. Gabriel's 
mule and himself being righted, the muleteer 
at once turned his attention to his donkey, 
which was by this time near the foot of the hill. 
As the donkey, either from not understanding 
Arabic or preferring his own judgment to that 
of his master's, paid no attention to his vocifer- 
ous commands to stop, the muleteer made such 
a vigorous use of his lower extremities as soon 
brought him into close proximity to the way- 



310 Wonders of the East. 

ward animal. The donkey, however, on the 
sudden appearance of his master by his side, 
giving such unmistakable evidences of wrath, 
took fright, wheeled off at right angles, 
and started at full jump up a steep embank- 
ment by the roadside, some six feet high, that 
lay at an angle of nearly 45°, which had been 
formed by a mountain torrent having gullied 
out the road in the rainy seasons. 

The Arab, not to be outdone by the donkey, 
instantly sprang with one gigantic bound up 
the embankment, and seized the donkey by the 
tail just as he had reached the top, when com- 
menced the laughable but earnest pull — the 
vigorous tug for victory. The Arab had un- 
doubtedly the advantage of the position ; but I 
saw at a glance that the donkey was evidently 
the stronger of the two, and I think would have 
gained the day, had it not have been for a pile 
of cobble-stones, about four feet high, extending 
along the edge of the embankment, and lying 
at about the same angle, which was a portion 
of a sort of tumble-down wall that surrounded 
a field. For the donkey to get over this huge 
pile of cobble-stones with such an incumbrance 
to his tail, was certainly no small undertaking. 
He, however, did his best ; but on reaching a 
point about midway up the pile of stones, it be- 
came quite evident that, if the tail did not come 
off, the donkey would have to come down ; for 
here he was brought, not exactly to a stand- 



From Samaria to Galilee. 311 

still, for his feet kept moving as rapidly as ever, 
shoving down the cobble-stones on the feet and 
against the shins of the Arab, to his very great 
discomfort ; but he was brought to a halt. This, 
however, was not the w T orst of it. The foothold 
of the donkey among the cobble-stones became 
so insecure that he began, as a sailor would say, 
to go astern, and immediately thereupon went 
from bad to worse; for, just at this point, the 
donkey, by some mishap or strange fatality, fell 
broadside upon the treacherous moving stone?, 
in which helpless condition he was unmercifully 
and unceremoniously dragged down the em- 
bankment to the road, fairly conquered and 
subdued. The whole affair, from beginning to 
end, was one of the most ludicrous scenes that 
could well be imagined. Even Gabriel, who 
was still limping, joined heartily in the laugh 
with me over this part of the exhibition. 

Resuming our journey, we passed over a 
varied section of country, diversified with steep 
and high hills, and beautiful and fertile valleys. 
Making a detour to the west, for some distance 
from the main road to Nazareth, we at length 
came to 

Dothan. — The site of Dothan is very fine. 
The city originally occupied the top of a large, 
well-rounded hill, while a most beautiful and 
fertile valley sweeps around to the south and 
west of it. This locality is one of the noted 



312 Wonders of the East. 



places of Scripture. Here Joseph found his 
brethren who sold him into slavery. Here, too, 
the prophet Elisha lived. Here Naaman, the 
leper, came in great pomp to Elisha, to be 
healed, who directed him to the Jordan, to dip 
himself seven times. Here a Syrian army that 
was sent to capture the prophet Elisha r was 
smitten with blindness, and then led by the 
prophet to Samaria, a distance of eleven miles, 
and delivered into the hand of the king of 
Israel (2 Kings vi : 8-23). But the city of 
Dothan is no more. Nothing but ruins are to 
be seen scattered over the place. And yet its 
very desolation is impressive and hallowed. At 
the foot of the hill is a well that bears evi- 
dence of great antiquity. As I looked down it, 
I could not help wondering if this could be the 
one into which Joseph was cast by his brethren ! 

Memories of ancient seers, patriarchs, and 
prophets that were owned and honored of God, 
and shone as lights in the world, have made this 
whole land hallowed and glorious. And al- 
though the patriarchs and prophets are gone, 
and the desolating hand of time has laid waste 
their dwellings, yet the shadows and memories 
of their doings have sanctified their ancient 
homes, and will forever haunt these places with 
hallowed shapes and forms that must, in all 
coming time, kindle man's holiest emotions into 
altar-flames of devotion. As 1 gazed upon the 
surrounding mountains, and thought of the mar- 



From Samaria to Galilee. 313 

velous display and manifestation of divine power 
and glory which Elisha's servant witnessed when 
he saw the mountain full of horses and chariots 
of fire for their defence, they seemed to wear a 
solemn grandeur, a heavenly radiance, as though 
some gleaming of light of the unseen world still 
lingered upon them. With such historic sur- 
roundings of Bible wonders, and such reflections 
as they were calculated to inspire, do you won- 
der that occasionally my eyes were bedimmed 
with tears, and that tender emotions would kin- 
dle and glow in my bosom, until I felt a won- 
derful nearness to heaven % "Who would not 
feel it was good to be here? 

Returning from Dothan to the main road, we 
resumed our northern route through a diversi- 
fied scene of hills and dales. Every now and 
then as we gained some hill-top, we caught a 
magnificent view of the snow-clad giant form of 
Mount Hermon away in the distance to the 
northeast. Indeed we have had occasional 
glimpses of this mountain ever since we arrived 
in the neighborhood of Shechem. This is the 
Mount Blanc of Palestine— the highest moun- 
tain peak in all Syria — raising its majestic form 
ten thousand feet above the sea, and one thou- 
sand feet above the line of vegetation, its top 
robed in eternal snows, where winter and soli- 
tude reign supreme. 

Passing several Arab villages of minor im- 
portance, but with their usual complement of 



3H 



Wonders of the East. 



ferocious dogs and half-naked children, we ar- 
rived, about sunset, at a large village by the 
name of Jenin, pleasantly and picturesquely 
situated on a hillside that overlooks the great 
plain of Esdraelon. Here we put up for the 
night — not in a convent, as I had heretofore 
since I arrived in this country, but in an Arab 
house which, however, is kept as a sort of an 
inn or public house for the accommodation of 
travelers. The house and its accommodations, 
which are singular indeed, to an American, 
will be reserved for our next. 



LETTER XXXII. 

TOUR THROUGH GALILEE. 

An Arab House — Parable of the Lost Coin. — 
Plains of Esdrelon. — The Spring Harod. — 
Mount Gilboa. — Jezreel. — Nabottis Vine- 
yard. — Shunem . — JVain. — Endor. — Mom, t 
Tabor. 

HAVING arrived at Jenin, the Engannim 
of the Bible, on the confines of the valley 
of Esdrelon, where we put up for the night, as 
I stated in my previous letter, it may not be 
amiss to introduce the reader to the Arab house 



Tour through Galilee. 315 



in which we took our lodgings. The building 
was one of the better class of houses, and was 
about eighteen feet square, one story high, flat 
roofed, and built of stone. Arches springing 
from the four sides met in the centre, overhead, 
thereby forming a groined arch that supported 
the roofing, which was also of stone. The floor 
was likewise of the same material. There was 
not a table, or stand, or chair, or bench, or 
stool, or bed, or a single article of furniture of 
any kind in the room, except a sort of portable 
furnace, over which the cooking was done. The 
only thing we had to eat from was a circular 
straw mat that was placed upon the floor for 
that purpose. As I was neither a tailor nor a 
Turk, I suffered much inconvenience in sitting 
upon the hard stone floor, which was bare, ex- 
cept a breadth of grass carpet extended part 
way around the room, back, next to the wall, 
upon which to sit by day, and sleep by night. 
There were no windows except two small open- 
ings, near the top of the room, that answered 
the double purpose of admitting the light by 
day, and transmitting the smoke whenever a 
fire is built, as there is no chimney. The ab- 
sence of windows rendered the room dark and 
gloomy, even in the daytime. This feature of 
Arab houses has rather been interesting to me 
than otherwise, as it has shed light upon the 
parable of our Lord, in which he says : " What 
woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose 



316 Wonders of the East. 



one piece, doth not light a candle and sweep 
the house, and seek diligently till she finds it?" 
The difficulty in this passage is, why should she 
light a candle, if the piece were lost in the day- 
time ? If He meant in the night, why did He 
not say so ? A gentleman called my attention 
to this, a number of years ago, in objecting to 
the Bible as a very strange and singular book. 
In the course of his remarks, he referred to the 
above parable and asked : " Why did not Christ 
say she would light a candle if it were after 
dark ?" and then inquired : " Would she light a 
candle in the daytime ¥* I saw the difficulty at 
once, but did not then see so clearly how to re- 
move it. I consulted Wesley and Clarke upon 
the subject, but all to no purpose. I was puz- 
zled and somewhat mortified, at the time, but 
the difficulty had become almost forgotten when 
it was thus suddenly brought to my mind, and 
as suddenly solved, by my seeing such a house 
as our Lord referred to in the parable. Here 
I saw at a glance, that, if a woman or any one 
else should drop a piece of money on the floor, 
even in the daytime, it could not well be found 
without artificial light. And what is true of 
this house in this respect, is true of houses al- 
most universally here. To me, the occular so- 
lution of the above difficulty was very valuable. 
It is certainly a fortunate, if not a providential 
circumstance to the Bible student, that the cus- 
toms, manners, buildings, etc., of this country, 



Tour through Galilee. 317 



remain so nearly the same as they were in the 
days of Christ. 

After having spent a sleepless night on 
account of the hardness of the bed, and the 
abundance of hungry fleas, we were off early in 
the morning to more closely inspect the great 
plain of 

Esbrelon. — This vast territory is the most 
remarkable valley, both physically and his- 
torically, in all Palestine. It extends from the 
Mediterranean to the Jordan, and is triangular 
in shape. Its three sides are said to be fourteen, 
seventeen, and twenty miles long, respectively. 
There is scarcely a tree of any kind to be seen 
on the plain. It is comparatively level, and ex- 
ceedingly fertile. Through it flows the river 
Kishon, and empties itself into the great sea 
just above Mount Carmel. The eastern portion 
of this valley is broken by Mount Gilboa, Little 
Hermon, and Mount Tabor, with intermediate 
valleys, some two or three miles w T ide each. 
Between Gilboa and Hermon is the valley of 
Jezreel. Up this valley, from beyond the Jor- 
dan, in the days of Gideon, came, without num- 
ber, the Bedouins of the desert, the wild Arabs, 
then known by the name of Midianites and 
Amalekites. As news of the invasion spread, 
the tribes of Israel were gathered together, and 
encamped on the side slope of Gilboa, opposite 
the spring Harod. Just in front, upon this part 



3i8 



Wonders of the East. 



of the plain, was encamped the 135,000 Midian- 
ites, with their immense number of camels, 
against whom Gideon went with his three hun- 
dred men, with their lamps and pitchers. The 
spring, Harod, was pointed out to me, where 
they were tested by the manner of their drink- 
ing, after which, in the darkness of the night, 
they spread themselves around this vast host 
that were now wrapped in slumber, and at the 
proper signal, the blast of three hundred trum- 
pets broke the stillness of that hour, like rever- 
berating thunders. As the sleepers in confusion 
sprang to their feet, three hundred lamps were 
suddenly flashed upon their vision ; while three 
hundred voices rent the midnight air with the 
exclamation, " The sword of the Lord and of 
Gideon." Confused and panic-stricken, the be- 
wildered multitude encountered each other in 
the darkness, and fought with the desperation 
of despair, until their ranks, decimated and 
bleeding, fled in confusion, until, slain at every 
step, there feel 120,000 (Judges vii-viii). 

At a later period Saul, with 400,000 men, 
encountered a vast army of the Philistines on 
this very plain, and, on being defeated, fled to 
Mount Gilboa, which was near at hand, -where 
he and his three sons were numbered among the 
slain (1 Sam. xxviii : 1-6). 

As I gazed upon this mountain slope, up 
which Saul and his sons fled in confusion, with 
their shattered and broken columns, until over- 



Tour through Galilee. 319 



taken and slain, I could not but reflect upon the 
terrible character of divine displeasure against 
evil doers, as expressed and indelibly written 
upon the pages of history, in the defeat of 
armies, the destruction of cities, and the over- 
throw of kingdoms. 

Here also, on the west side of Mount Gilboa, 
at its base, on a hill about one hundred feet 
high, stood the city of Jezreel. Here Ahab 
lived during the latter part of his reign, with 
his wife, the notorious and wicked Jezebel. 
Here he had an ivory palace, and lived in great 
splendor. On the east side of J ezreel, at a short 
distance, I was shown the vineyard of Naboth, 
near the fountain of Jalud, that Ahab coveted, 
and for which Naboth was murdered (1 Kings 
xxi : 5-14). Near this fountain Jehu met Joram, 
Ahab's son, who had left the city to oppose 
Jehu. Here the encounter took place, and 
Joram was slain, and his body cast into the 
vineyard of Naboth. Ahaziah, King of Judah, 
who was here on a visit at the time, and who 
went out to assist Joram, was also slain. Jehu 
then entered the city, and seeing Jezebel at an 
upper window of the palace, commanded her 
attendants to throw her out, upon which she 
was thrown down and trodden under foot, and 
thus the blood of Naboth was visited upon her, 
according to the word of the Lord (2 Kings ix : 
16-36). Not only have Jezebel and the entire 
family perished ingloriously, but this once 



320 



Wonders of the East. 



proud, idolatrous city, is no more. Among its 
ruins stands a massive, crumbling old tower, 
like a sepulchral monument, to mark the spot 
of desolation. On one part of the site of Jez- 
reel, as if to complete its degradation, stands a 
most wretched-looking village, of some twelve 
or fifteen miserable looking hovels, known by 
the name of Zerin. 

Resuming our journey, we crossed the plain 
lying between Gilboa and Hermon, which is 
some three miles wide. Near its northern bor- 
der, I saw to the right, at no great distance, an 
animal, evidently of the canis genera, which 
Gabriel at once pronounced to be a wolf. With- 
out any delay I put whip to my horse, and 
dashed off at full speed in pursuit. But, as the 
ground was too soft to afford firm footing for 
my horse, I did not get near enough to use my 
pistol, and so soon gave up the chase. 

Less than an hour's ride from Jezreel brought 
us to Shunem, now called Salem, where, near 
three thousand years ago, lived a woman, with 
whom the prophet Elisha made his home when- 
ever he passed this way, and whose son Elisha 
raised to life (2 Kings iv : 8-35). 

About as much further northward brought us 
to old Nam, where Jesus, on entering the place 
on a certain occasion, met just outside of the 
city the funeral procession of a young man, 
whom he restored to life. The manner in which 
this was done shows that there was no coffin. I 



Tour through Galilee. 



321 



have seen some three or four funerals since I 
have been in this country, and in each case the 
dead was borne upon a bier, without a coffin, 
and was carried by four men. Over the body 
was spread a sort of sheet, which partly revealed 
the outlines of the corpse. Such, I doubt not, 
was the manner in which the young man in this 
case was being carried to his tomb, and which 
was the general practice in the days of Christ. 

Nain, which has thus been immortalized by 
the above miracle, is situated on the north- 
western slope of Little Hermon. It is nothing 
now to what it once was. Among its ruins are 
now, perhaps, fifteen or twenty huts. It, how- 
ever, still retains its ancient name. 

Some four miles more brought us to the vil- 
lage of Endor, where lived the witch that Saul 
consulted on the eve of that disastrous battle in 
which he and his three sons lost their lives (1 
Sam. xxviii : 7-10). It now looks old, dilap- 
idated, and forlorn. I should judge there might 
be some forty inhabitants, all told, who look 
dirty and ragged ; and some of them sufficiently 
haggard to be the descendent of the very 
witches that Saul consulted near three thousand 
years ago. 

Mount Tabor. — Passing from thence, we soon 
came in full view of Mount Tabor, which is an 
isolated, conic-shaped mountain, rising up out 
of the north-east plain of Esdrelon. It is said 



322 



Wonders of the East. 



to be some four or five miles in circumference 
at its base, and two thousand three hundred and 
fifty feet high. Its top is not so sharp or peaked 
as I had expected ; but looks like an immense 
flattened dome. I did not go to the top of it, 
believing 1 could see more of it at a proper dis- 
tance than I could by standing on it; besides, 
night was too near at hand to give us time to 
make the ascent with safety. 

Mount Tabor is certainly very beautiful in 
form, looking, when viewed from the west, more 
like an immense thing of art than the product 
of nature. But its chief glory consists in its 
association with many of the stirring events of 
the past. Here Deborah gathered her army to 
oppose Sisera (Jud. iv: 4-6). Here Gideon's 
brothers, commanding a division of the army of 
the Israelites, were slain (viii : 18-21). And 
here, on this mount, many suppose that our 
Lord was transfigured before Peter, James, and 
John, when " His face did shine as the sun, and 
His raiment was white as the light. And be- 
hold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias 
talking with him." 

Through Galilee. — One of the unpleasant 
circumstances connected with traveling in this 
country is the every-day danger of falling in 
with roving Bedouins from beyond the Jordan, 
who are robbers by profession, and who are 
ever on the alert to plunder defenceless travel- 



Tour through Galilee. 323 



ers. Hence, robberies, and even murders, are 
common occurrences in Palestine. In no other 
country would such a state of things be per- 
mitted to exist. But the Turkish Government 
has entirely outlived its usefulness — if, indeed, 
it ever has been useful — and is now either too 
weak to suppress these lawless bands, or else 
secretly connives at their depredations. In 
consequence of this state of things, every day 
since I left Jerusalem has been a day of fear 
and anxiety. In view of all this, you may form 
some faint idea of what were my feelings when, 
on our road from Endor to Nazareth, in crossing 
one of the plains, we saw on our left three 
mounted Bedouins riding somewhat briskly 
along a pathway that intercepted our own 
diagonally at no great distance ahead. As they 
were close at hand, and on fleet Arabian steeds, 
it was useless for us to attempt to escape them. 
My alarm was soon increased by perceiving 
that they were gauging their speed, so as to 
meet us at the junction of the two paths. Ga- 
briel seemed to be anxious as well as myself, 
and directed that we place our revolvers in open 
sight, and put on a bold front, and by no means 
permit them to ride in our rear. That so long 
as they were in front of us we could see the first 
attempt at hostility, and meet it at once. It 
was to me a fearful moment. All the thrilling 
accounts of robberies and murders of travelers 
in this country, of which I had ever read, in- 



324 



Wonders of the East. 



stantly flashed across my mind. My courage 
was nearly down to zero. The very thought of 
using my revolver, even in self-defence, was 
horrible. I began to wish that I had taken the 
advice of friends at Jerusalem, and not have 
ventured upon this northern route in such a de- 
fenceless condition. But it was too late to re- 
treat. The Philistines were upon us. What 
was in store for me I knew not, but feared the 
worst. We had met on several occasions one, 
and even two, of these sons of Hagar, but we 
did not fear them so long as we outnumbered 
them ; but now it was otherwise. 

As we met at the junction of the two roads, 
we held up while they turned into the road just 
ahead of us. I felt somewhat relieved, as they 
did not proceed forthwith to rob me. As we 
rode on, in unpleasant proximity to them, they 
looked at us, and we at them, but I presume 
with very different feelings. They were quite 
dark, as are all Bedouins I have yet seen, with 
rather sharp features, black, piercing eyes, 
rather tall in stature, spare and wiry, and evi- 
dently in the prime of life. Each one carried 
in his right hand a light spear, some fifteen feet 
long, mounted at the end with a double-edged 
lance, that gleamed and flashed in the sunlight 
most ominously. Besides, each was ornamented 
with a long rifle, strapped upon his back, and a 
leather belt around his waist, to which were 
attached a horse pistol on one side, and a revol- 



Tour through Galilee. 325 



ver on the other, all of which gave them quite 
a formidable appearance. Another circumstance 
that rather excited my distrust was the fact that 
Gabriel entered into apparently familiar con- 
versation with them. As I did not understand 
Arabic, and, consequently, was entirely ignorant 
of what was being said, how did I know but 
that these Ishmaelites were making a bargain 
with him, proposing that if he and his com- 
panion would make no serious resistance to 
their robbing me, they would secretly divide 
with them the plunder % Others, I knew, had 
been made the victims of similar treachery, and 
where was there any security that I should fare 
any better? Or, in case of such an arrange- 
ment, where was there for me the least protec- 
tion ? I was alone, except accompanied by my 
two Arab guides, who might betray me. Jeru- 
salem, the only place where I could hope to find 
sympathy and protection, was too far away to 
be thought of in such an emergency. And 
thus, in this horrible state of suspense and 
anxiety, did I ride in company with these Bed- 
ouins for one long hour, when, to my great re- 
lief, they dashed off across a plain toward the 
Jordan, and soon disappeared behind some 
neighboring hills. Thus a very disagreeable 
meeting resulted in a very happy separation. 

Our journey now lay through a beautiful sec- 
tion of country. I am perfectly surprised at 

the fertility of these valleys. I have never seen 
14 



326 Wonders of the East. 



richer soil anywhere than is here. Near sunset 
we arrived at the " City of Jesus." 

Nazaketh is situated on the south side of a 
hill that borders a fine, rich valley that runs 
nearly east and west, and is about a mile long, 
and one-fourth as wide. It is surrounded by a 
rather low, undulating range of hills, that vary 
in height, and, as 1 am told, are in altitude from 
one hundred to five hundred feet. The build- 
ings of Xazareth are chiefly stone, and not only 
look substantial, but also cheerful, especially as 
compared with most of the towns in this coun- 
try. This is undoubtedly, in a great measure, 
owing to the fact that many of the buildings are 
new. There is evident growth and prosperity. 
It has a population of some five thousand, con- 
sisting chiefly of Greeks, Romanists, and Mo- 
hammedans. The Church of England has also 
established a society here, and have just finished 
a house of worship that is an ornament to the 
place. I visited the rector, who told me that 
they were in a prosperous condition. ISTazareth 
is certainly a pleasant place. 

But that which will ever make jSTazareth of 
great interest to the Christian world, and illus- 
trious among the sacred places of this wondrous 
land, rivaling in this respect even Bethlehem 
and Jerusalem, is the fact of its long association 
with, the family of our Lord. Here was the 
home of Joseph and Mary. The room is even 



Tour through Galilee. 



327 



pointed out in which they lived, and near by 
this is shown the Fountain of the Virgin, from 
which their water was supplied ; and, without a 
doubt, Jesus often, as well as Joseph and Mary, 
visited and drank from this spring. Here the 
Saviour of the world spent his boyhood days 
while " He grew in favor both with God and 
man." In fact, for thirty years Nazareth was 
his home ; in consequence of which Pie was 
called a Nazarene. Here he preached his first 
sermon, but was rejected, as elsewhere ; and the 
precipice is pointed out down which they sought 
to cast him (Luke iv : 16-28). I felt that it was 
truly a great privilege to stand on such hallowed 
ground, amid such surroundings and historical 
associations. 

Whatever may be the creed of the traveler, 
or the faith, or skepticism, with which he re- 
gards the traditions that mark the sacred places 
around him, it is almost impossible to stand 
within the enclosures which have so long been 
regarded as the identical places which contain 
so many impressive and solemn memorials of 
this wonderful family, without experiencing the 
most profound emotions of reverence and awe. 
The architectural beauty of the various churches 
erected over these hallowed places ; the rich 
frescoed paintings, the fine and costly draperies, 
the burning lamps of silver and gold, the sin- 
gular dress and solemn demeanor of devotees 
that kneel around you, all contribute to impress 



328 



Wonders of the East. 



the mind with untold feelings that sway and 
move the soul. Even supposing you have no 
faith in these sacred localities, such as the Foun- 
tain of Mary, the house of Joseph and Mary, 
Joseph's workshop, where he labored as a car- 
penter, the synagogue where Jesus attended and 
worshiped, etc. ; yet you know that here the 
Saviour lived, and that He must have often 
walked these streets, and wandered over these 
adjacent hills, and through these valleys. As 
I stood upon the hill on the slope of which Na- 
zareth is built, and gazed upon the magnificent 
landscape that spread out before me, I could 
not but think how often He had looked out 
upon the same scene. How often from this 
same hill-top His eyes had rested upon the 
snowy heights of Hermon, the hills of Basham, 
Mount Tabor, Little Hermon, Gilboa, Mount 
Carmel, and these surrounding valleys. For, 
however much the city may have changed since 
that period, the hills and valleys remain un- 
doubtedly the same. 

How strange it is, that here where J esus lived 
so long, where he first announced himself as the 
Saviour of the world, and where the marvelous 
light of his Gospel first burst forth with such 
splendor, and which has since made so many 
other lands and nations all radiant and glorious 
with divine illuminations ; that here such gross 
darkness should now cover the people, and not 
only Nazareth, but this whole land. Never before 



From Nazareth to Tiberias. 329 

was a people so favored of God, and never be- 
fore were such blessings so indignantly scorned 
and rejected ; and never before was a conn try- 
apparently so terribly cursed by the Almighty. 



LETTER XXXIII. 

FROM NAZARETH TO TIBERIAS. 

Carta, — The Corn Field of Christ and His 
Disciples. — First View of the Sea of Galilee. 
— Our Quarters. — Tiberias. — Its Warm 
Springs. — Sea of Galilee. — Reflections. — My 
Supper. — Arab Customs in Eating and 
Sleeping. 

HAYING spent all the time in Nazareth 
necessary to see whatever of interest 
there is to be seen in this place, we set out on a 
bright sunny morning for the sea of Galilee. 
Passing out by the Fountain of the Virgin at 
the north-east end of the town, we commenced 
the ascent of the mountain. Having gained its 
summit, we descended for near two miles down 
a rocky ravine over a most miserable road. 
About five miles from Nazareth, brought us to 

Oana, where Jesus and Mary attended a 
wedding, and where he performed his first 



330 



Wonders of the East. 



miracle by turning -water into wine. An old 
ruin was pointed out to me as the identical 
house in which the marriage was celebrated. It 
is enclosed by the remains of an old Greek 
church. Hear by is a large spring enclosed by 
a wall , and said to be the one from which the 
water was obtained on that occasion, which I 
see no reason to • doubt, as this spring was un- 
questionably here in the days of Christ. It was 
at this place, on another occasion, that Jesus 
was stopping when a nobleman, whose child 
was sick, came after him from Capernaum, some 
eighteen miles, saying, " Sir, come down ere my 
child die," etc. (John iv : 46-53). Cana is also 
renowned as the native place of the Apostle 
^Nathaniel. The present village, I was told by 
Gabriel, contained over one thousand inhab- 
itants ; this, however, from its appearance, I 
very much doubt. 

About two miles on a north-west course 
brought us to a beautiful and fertile valley, 
where, tradition affirms, stood the field of com 
in which our Lord and his disciples plucked the 
ears of corn on the Sabbath day (Mark ii : 23- 
28). In looking over the account, I see no rea- 
son why this is not as likely to be the place as 
any other. 

Still journeying on. until about two o'clock 
p.m., as we gained the top of a hill, the long 
looked-for Sea of Galilee suddenly came into 
view. There it lay glittering in the sun's rays, 



From Nazareth to Tiberias. 331 

with scarcely a ripple upon its surface. One of 
its peculiarities struck me more forcibly than I 
had anticipated, namely, its deep depression. I 
was hardly prepared to look down upon its 
bosom, a thousand feet below me. This circum- 
stance gives it a strange, unnatural character. I 
now saw the great propriety of that form of ex- 
pression used by the nobleman in sending a 
messenger from this lake to Christ at Cana, say- 
ing, " Come down ere my child die." Its sur- 
rounding mountain banks, however, are not 
precipitous, with frowning precipices and over- 
hanging cliffs, but mostly grassy-broken slopes. 
Descending into this deep basin, we at length 
reached the shore, and soon entered the western 
gate of the City of Tiberias. Here we were 
compelled to put up at an Arab house. This, 
like most of Arab domiciles, had but one room. 
The walls and floors were stone, but the ceiling 
and roof, instead of being arched with the same 
material, consisted of very rough, crooked poles, 
laid across from the top of one wall to the other 5< 
about six inches apart. These were covered 
over transversely with reed and straw, over 
which a very thick covering of clay was spread 
and plastered, which formed the roofing. There 
was not an article of furniture of any kind in 
the house, except a portable furnace. As there 
was no chimney, the poles and straw overhead 
gave unmistakable evidence that this article 
had been used often and long. Having resolved 



332 



Wonders of the East. 



to have a mess of fish from this renowned lake, 
even when miles away, at my request an Arab 
was soon despatched by Gabriel, with hook and 
line, for this purpose. In the meantime, I took 
a stroll through the streets of Tiberias. 

This city is situated on the western shore of 
the sea, near midway between its northern and 
southern extremities, on a narrow, undulating 
plain, between the sea and a steep embankment 
in its rear. It is said to have been founded by 
Herod Antipas, and was at one time a place of 
considerable importance. It has suffered, how- 
ever, various misfortunes ; but perhaps the most 
calamitous was the earthquake of 1837, which 
laid half of the city in ruins. From this it has 
never recovered. The town is about half a mile 
long, and in shape approaches an irregular 
parallelogram. A wall, some twenty feet high, 
that is now, in consequence of the earthquake, 
warped, rent, heaved, broken, and in some 
places thrown down, encloses it on three sides. 
This is strengthened with twenty-three round 
towers. A castle at the north-west corner com- 
pleted its defences. The side facing the lake is 
open. 

The city, as well as the wall, presents a 
miserable appearance. The houses, although 
built of stone, are generally rough, low, and 
dilapidated, while many of them are tenantless, 
and in ruins. The streets are most emphatically 
narrow, crooked, and filthy. The inhabitants, 



From NazeretTi to Tiberias. 333 

which are said to number some three thousand, 
present a poverty-stricken and woe-begone ap- 
pearance, and give ocular demonstrations of 
knowing something about vermin. This know- 
ledge, however, does not give evidence of supe- 
rior research in this direction, since Tiberias is 
said to be the paradise of fleas. 

Another circumstance that helps to make the 
place still more disgusting, is the fact that a 
large number of the inhabitants are diseased in 
some form or other. Many of them are afflicted 
with that most loathsome of maladies, the lep- 
rosy. The most of these have come to this 
place from different sections of the country, to 
avail themselves of the use of the warm baths 
that are at a short distance to the south of the 
city, as it is believed that these waters possess 
important medicinal properties. In visiting 
these springs, I found their waters to be very 
warm indeed, which is owing to their volcanic 
origin. The temperature of the water is said to 
be about one hundred and forty degrees Fah- 
renheit. There were quite a number of lame, 
haggard, withered, scurvy, leprous, naked Jews 
and Arabs, who were bathing and steaming in 
this vast caldron. The whole establishment is 
filthy and offensive, while the water itself has a 
most disagreeable smell of sulphur. Gabriel at 
once began to make preparations for a bath, 
and was quite urgent that I should follow his 
example ; but what I saw as I gazed upon the 



334 



Wonders of the East. 



diseased, greasy bathers, as they performed their 
ablutions, led me to positively decline the invi- 
tation, and to turn away with disgust. I went 
down, however, to the seaside, and after making 
the necessary arrangements, plunged in, where 
I had more room and purer water. As I swam 
out some distance from the shore, I was sur- 
prised to find the water so very clear — I could 
see the bottom at a surprising depth. After 
having finished my bath, we made an excursion 
of some three or four miles along the shore for 
reflection and observation. 

The Sea of Galilee is a beautiful sheet of 
water, and is said to lie six hundred and twenty 
feet below the Mediterranean, and is some four- 
teen miles long, eight miles broad, and its 
greatest depth one hundred and sixty-five feet. 
Its attraction to the traveler, however, consists 
not in its size, depth, or beauty, but in its stir- 
ring associations. To the Christian, especially, 
is this true, from the fact that on its bosom and 
around its shores the Saviour, in the days of his 
flesh, walked and dwelt, and taught the people, 
and worked miracles with marvelous demon- 
strations of power. As I stood and long gazed 
upon the scene before me, and thought how 
often Jesus had crossed and re-crossed these 
waters ; how often lie had wandered along these 
shores, and how very familiar he must have 
been with all this surrounding scenery, my mind 



From Nazareth to Tiberias. 335 



was wonderfully impressed with a sense of that 
reverence and awe that such surroundings alone 
can inspire. I remembered, too, that here He 
on one occasion by a word hushed the roar of 
mighty winds, and stilled the furious blast into 
a gentle zephyr, and calmed the raging of the 
sea. 

At another time, when the disciples were 
out upon this lake, ready to despair amid the 
howlings of a tempest, Jesus was seen comiug 
to their relief, walking upon the foam-crested 
waves. Upon yonder hill-side He also miracu- 
lously fed the multitudes on two different occa- 
sions. Here four at least of His apostles were 
originally fishermen upon these waters. Here 
Peter, by Christ's direction, caught the fish 
with the tribute money in its mouth. Upon 
these shores, too, many of Jesus' parables were 
spoken. Here, also, after His resurrection, He 
showed himself alive by infallible proofs. In 
fact, here miracle followed miracle, and wonder 
followed wonder, until this whole land glowed 
with an unearthly beauty, some faint traces of 
which I almost imagined I could still discern 
lingering upon the surrounding scenery. But, 
after all, what mighty changes time has 
wrought ! The Saviour has gone upon high. 
Capernaum, Bethsaida, and Chorazin are no 
more. They have, according to the prediction 
of Christ, gone down with the curse of God 
upon them, and have so utterly perished, that 



336 



Wonders of the East. 



only the most meagre debris mark the sites 
where those wicked cities stood. 

Returning to Tiberias, we found that the Arab 
who had been sent out for fish had returned with 
a fine mess. I requested that they should be 
fried ; upon which Gabriel said he would hand 
them over to the woman of the house, and that 
she would perhaps suit me as a cook better than 
himself. This was said rather sarcastically, as 1 
had repeatedly complained of this part of his 
services. I, however, readily consented to this 
arrangement, hoping that this change would be 
for the better. In the meantime, while my sup- 
per was being prepared, I went out to examine 
a portion of the city wall, in reference to the 
doings of the earthquake. 

On my return, my repast being ready, I sat 
down on the floor to eat from the same uncom- 
fortable level ; but judge of my disappointment 
when, on tasting the fish, I found they were 
fried in poor oil, and, what was much worse, 
that they were not scaled ; or if this very neces- 
sary preparation had been attempted, it had not 
been half completed. Which was the case, I 
was unable to determine, as the room, owing to 
the absence of windows, was quite dark. As I 
especially detest fish-scales as an article of food, 
I sought to avoid them by getting well below 
the surface ; when, to my surprise, I found the 
fish had not been opened. I felt vexed, and 
told Gabriel that it was an unendurable outrage. 



From Nazareth to Tiberias. 337 

But he disclaimed all responsibility in the mat- 
ter, as the woman had done the cooking. As 
the fish were very much broken, and the scales 
and the intestines somewhat indiscriminately 
mixed up with the meat, I had rather a poor 
meal after all; and had it not been for the 
seasoning of hunger, with which I was largely 
supplied, I could not have eaten them at all. 
Had I known as much before as I did after, I 
would have cleaned the fish myself ; but my 
experience came too late to be of any service to 
me in this case. 

The household arrangements of the inhabi- 
tants of this country are all very strange indeed 
to an American. They generally use a circular 
straw mat for a table, which is spread on the 
floor. Around this, at meal-time, the family 
gathers, sitting also upon the floor. The dishes 
are very few and simple. The bread is laid on 
the bare mat, which is not always as clean as it 
might be. The other food generally consists of 
stewed or boiled beans, or rice, or cracked wheat, 
with soup. Two deep dishes, or bowls, are 
placed upon the mat — one for the soup, the 
other for the beans, or whatever else they may 
chance to have. They have neither knives nor 
forks, nor even spoons, except the rich. They 
all eat out of the same dish, using their fingers 
where the food will admit of it ; but the soup, 
or any such liquid substance, is sopped or 
scooped up with a thin piece of bread doubled 



333 



Wonders of the East. 



up in spoon-fashion, or else with their hands. 
A pitcher of water, out of which they all drink 
by turns, completes the meal. And this was 
undoubtedly the manner of eating, so far as 
knives and forks are concerned, eighteen hun- 
dred years ago. When at the Last Supper Jesus 
said to His disciples : " One of you shall betray 
me," the question went round : " Lord, is it I ?" 
to which " He answered and said : he that dip- 
peth his hand with me in the dish, the same 
shall betray me." 

The Arabs, instead of washing before eating, 
as did the Jews, wash when they have finished. 
In fact, this is very necessary, from the manner 
in which they use their fingers. They never 
wash out of a dish, as they have nothing for 
that purpose. Where there is no servant, they 
take turns in pouring water on each others 
hands. As Gabriel had brought from Jerusa- 
lem, for my accommodation, a plate, cup and 
saucer, spoon, knife and fork, etc., and as I al- 
ways eat first and alone, I was relieved from 
the necessity of uniting with them in this primi- 
tive mode of eating. 

Their sleeping arrangements are also peculiar. 
They have no beds except the floor, and all sleep 
together in the same room. Although, while 
among them, I was compelled to submit to this 
novel plan, I nevertheless had the advantage of 
them in having a bed, consisting of two bed- 
quilts (not over thick), two sheets, and a pillow, 



A Night in Tiberias. 



339 



all of which were brought from Jerusalem, while 
they slept on a strip of grass carpet, or the bare 
floor. This custom of all sleeping together in 
the same room, is undoubtedly very ancient; 
and is alluded to by our Lord, in His parable, 
as recorded in Luke xi : 5-8, in which a retired, 
indolent man says to his neighbor who had 
come to borrow bread : " Trouble me not ; the 
door is now shut, and my children are with me 
in bed y I cannot rise and give thee." 



LETTER XXXIV. 

A NIGHT IN TIBERIAS. 

A Story of Robbery. — Visitors and my Alarm. 
— Lodgings. — Farewell to the Sea of Galilee. 
— Mount of Beatitudes. — The Slavery of Wo- 
men. — GabrieVs Courtship and Difficulties. — 
Beside Still Waters. 

SOME of the incidents of the night that I 
spent at Tiberias will not easily be effaced 
from my mind. One of these was so much in 
sympathy with my feelings and apprehensions 
as to deserve a passing notice. The toil of 
travel and sight-seeing of the day had ended. 
The sombre shades of night were gathering 
around us. I was seated upon the floor of my 



340 



Wonders of the East. 



temporary home, with Gabriel and the family, 
rather pensively musing upon my lonely and 
defenceless condition in this far-off land, when 
my reverie was suddenly interrupted by Ga- 
briel, who informed me that my Arab host 
wished, through him as interpreter, to relate to 
me one of his own adventures which had oc- 
curred some three months before. It was as 
follows : he said he was at the time on his way 
from Damascus to Nablous, with six mules 
loaded with dry goods, which he was conveying 
for other parties, when a band of Bedouins came 
across him and took from him mules, goods, 
and all. In the melee he received two severe 
gashes by a lance — one across the cheek, the 
other on his left arm ; the dark scars of which 
were still indisputable evidence of their severity 
and the murderous design of the robber. This 
horrible story, of which the above is a mere out- 
line, was made the more impressive by my 
strange and unpleasant surroundings. Besides, 
the dingy, smoked-up walls of the room, and 
the faint flickering of the lamp, that consisted 
of an open cup of oil, upon the surface of which 
floated a thin piece of cork that supported the 
wick — the end of which stuck up through its 
centre — seemed fitting counterparts of this dis- 
mal narrative. My mind, in the meantime, 
had taken on a deeper tinge of gloom ; and as I 
looked forward, in the light of this story, to the 
dangers that still awaned me, I felt very much 



A Night in Tiberias. 



341 



as I had felt, when a child, in listening to some 
horrid tale of ghosts " appearing by pale moon- 
light," and looking so ghostly and ghastly as to 
frighten people half to death. 

Just as he had ended the account of his ter- 
rifying adventure, the sound of footsteps was 
heard approaching our door. In the next min- 
ute, six dark, grim, stalwart-looking Arabs en- 
tered the room. What was the object of their 
visit I could only conjecture. Whether they 
were friends or enemies, neighbors or robbers, 
of course I could not divine. Their half-savage 
appearance, made still more impressive by the 
surrounding gloom, was eminently suggestive 
of the latter. Seating themselves on the floor, 
they immediately entered into conversation, of 
which I did not understand a single word, but 
in which they looked at me so narrowly and in- 
quisitively as to leave no doubt on my mind 
that I was the subject of their remarks. What- 
ever it was that was passing between them, 
Gabriel was evidently equally interested with 
them. Was I being betrayed ? Was a bargain 
being struck in which I was to be the sufferer ? 
I had often heard of instances of this kind, and 
where was there any assurance that this was 
not to be another % As my situation under these 
circumstances became embarrassing and even 
painful, I ventured, at length, to inquire of 
Gabriel what all this jargon meant, in which I 
was evidently the subject of interest, when I 



342 



Wonders of the East. 



was agreeably relieved of all serious apprehen- 
sions by being assured that these Arabs were 
citizens of Tiberias, and that they had been im- 
pelled by curiosity to come in to see me and to 
spend the evening with us ; that they had al- 
ready learned from him who I was, what was 
my business here, and whither I was going. 
They remained until near ten o'clock, when 
they retired very much in the same abrupt 
manner in which they had entered. 

Our lodgings for the night were of the most 
ordinary character. A stone floor answered 
the place of a bedstead, which had at least the 
qualities of being strong and capacious. These 
characteristics were all the more necessary in 
this case, as it was occupied by the whole family, 
together with Gabriel and myself, there being 
no other room in the house. But the worst 
feature, after all, about the whole affair, was 
the astonishing number of fleas, and then such 
restless fleas, such desperate, hungry, voracious 
fleas 1 never saw before. 

After spending a sleepless night and eating a 
poor breakfast in the morning, I mounted my 
horse, bid adieu to Tiberias, and in company 
with my two Arab guides, started westward, 
across the country toward the Mediterranean. 
After making the ascent of about one thousand 
feet up a long hill from the lake, we reached the 
upper table-land, where I turned my horse 
around, and took a farewell look on the sea of 



A Night in Tiberias. 



343 



Galilee. What a place and moment for reflec- 
tion ! How events and images of the long past 
came hurrying up before my mind ! What hal- 
lowed emotions kindled and glowed in my soul, 
as I gazed for the last time upon the most 
sacred sheet of water upon the whole face of 
the globe ! Of its many interesting associations 
there is one that has made it almost divine. 
The manner in which it has been identified for 
so long a time, with the life, ministry, and mira- 
cles of Christ, has made it pre-eminent among 
sacred places ; the loveliest and holiest of them 
all. It was, therefore, with feelings of real 
sadness, that I at length turned my horse around 
and rode away from the beautiful lake of Gen- 
nesareth. 

A few minutes' ride further, brought us to 
the " Horns of Hattin," as a hill at this point is 
now called, but which is generally known as the 
Mount of Beatitudes. 

Here it is affirmed that our Saviour deliver- 
ed that memorable discourse known as "His 
Sermon on the Mount." We passed near this 
noted place on our way to Tiberias, but did not 
then stop to examine it, intending to do so on 
our return. This hill, with its tops or " horns," 
which is the only hill seen in this direction, 
rises some fifty or sixty feet above the plain, 
with gently sloping, grassy sides. Its top is well 
adapted to serve as a platform from which to 
address the crowds that are said to have gather- 



344 



Wonders of the East. 



ed here around him, " from Galilee, from Deca- 
polis, from Jerusalem, from Judea, and from 
beyond Jordan." " Kone of the other moun- 
tains in the neighborhood," says Dr. Stanley, 
" could answer equally well to this description, 
inasmuch as they are merged into the uniform 
barrier of hills round the lake ; whereas this 
stands separate; the mountain which alone 
could lay claim to a distinct name, with the ex- 
ception of the one height of Tabor, which is too 
distinct to answer the requirements." 

From this point our course lay nearly in a 
northwest direction, through a somewhat bro- 
ken, yet fertile country. As we intended to 
strike the sea-coast in the vicinity of Acker, we 
left Nazareth a long way to the south of us. At 
noon we took our dinner in the open air, as we 
had done every day since we left Jerusalem. 
In the after part of the day we met twenty- 
seven women together, following a path that 
crossed our own, and all loaded with bundles of 
brush, or wood, which they were carrying on 
their heads to a town more than a mile away, 
where, as Gabriel informed me, this wood would 
be exposed to sale, and that they were in this 
way supporting their families ; that frequently 
they thus carried wood three, four, and even 
five miles to market. I feel truly sorry for the 
women of this country. They are treated more 
like beasts of burden than like human beings. 
If they are not made to the men literally 



A Night in Tiberias. 



345 



" hewers of wood and drawers of water," they 
are certainly carriers of wood, and drawers and 
carriers of water. It is very evident that as a 
rule husbands in this country have but little or 
no respect for their wives. This was probably 
the case in the days of the Apostles. Hence, 
says Paul : " Husbands, love your wives, and be 
not hitter against them." — (Gal. iii : 19.) On 
calling Gabriel's attention to the cruel manner 
in which the women were treated in being com- 
pelled to do all the work, he said the " women 
didn't do all the work — that the donkeys did a 
part of it," but admitted that the " women and 
the donkeys did the most of the work," but at 
the same time thought there was nothing very 
bad about that ; he thought, however, the prac- 
tice of many of the Arabs, in whipping their 
wives for small offences, was very wrong ; in 
fact he rather doubted the propriety of whip- 
ping them at all. On my telling him how dif- 
ferently we treated our wives in America, he 
replied, "American woman no good." His 
idea was that they were not profitable. 

It should be remembered, however, that this 
cruel treatment of females is the legitimate 
result of the absence of the Gospel and its 
teachings. In all lands where the Christian 
religion is despised, the strong oppress and tyr- 
annize over the weak ; consequently, in all 
such countries, the women are reduced to the 
condition of slaves ; while in every Christian 



346 



Wonders of the East. 



land the weaker sex are honored and happy. If 
there be any one class that should love and 
cherish the Gospel of Christ above every other 
class, it seems to me it should be women, 
as no other class owes so much to its teach- 
ings as they. But I must not stop to moral- 
ize, however interesting or profitable it might 
be. 

While the subject of the cruel treatment of 
wives by the Arabs was up, I inquired of Ga- 
briel how it was that he was not married ; hav- 
ing understood that he was still single, and that 
his countrymen generally married young, and 
that he himself was already twenty-six years 
old ; remarking, at the same time, that if he did 
not bestir himself he would soon be classed with 
old bachelors. In reply, he very seriously and 
confidentially informed me, that he had long 
been waiting to marry one that he most ten- 
derly loved, but as she had an older sister still 
single, he was compelled to wait, very much 
against his will, as the law requires that the 
eldest should marry first. How strange it is 
that this custom of society that was in force 
thousands of years ago, should still be so rigidly 
observed by this ancient people ! Every one 
will readily call to mind the case of Jacob, who, 
having been captivated by the charms of Each- 
el, and having resolved to make her his wife, 
was compelled to first marry Leah, the eldest, 
whom he did not love, in order to get her out of 



A Night in Tiberias. 



347 



the way, so that he might marry Rachel whom 
he did love. 

In passing through a beautiful, level and fer- 
tile valley, well watered by a slugglish stream, 
and rank with vegetable forms of life, we saw 
feeding therein a number of flocks of sheep 
and goats, attended by their respective shep- 
herds. Why they were here it was not difficult 
to divine. Such level valleys are generally fer- 
tile, and where they are well watered, they fur- 
nish excellent pasturage. But, perhaps, of all 
the valleys I had yet seen, either in Samaria or 
Galilee, I had seen none that approached so 
near a paradise for herbiverous animals as this. 
Never before had I been so impressed with the 
force and beauty of those words of David, " He 
maketh me to lie down in green pastures ; he 
leadeth me beside the still waters." These 
words seemed in the light of this valley and 
stream, instinct with new life. Here a part of 
the flocks had filled themselves, and were lying 
down in contentment. I here saw at a glance 
the superiority of pastures beside still waters, as 
compared with hill-sides. While mountain tor- 
rents can at best do but little for vegetation in 
their hurried course, and are soon exhausted, 
the still stream, whose waters stay in the level 
fertile valley, furnishes the necessary moisture 
to sustain a rank and luxuriant growth, even 
long after the bed of mountain streams has 
become dry and useless. 



348 Wonders of the East. 



LETTER XXXV. 

SCENES IN GALILEE. 

Dividing the Sheep from the Goats. — Sow, and 
why it is done. — Our Quarters for the Night. 
— The House and its Inmates, including the 
Hens and my Horse. — The Family and Fleas. 
— A Sleepless Night. 

IX traveling through this interesting country, 
one is continually meeting with some 
usage or custom of society, that has come down 
unchanged from a remote period, and which 
has served as the framework of some parable of 
the Bible, or as an illustration of some religious 
truth or doctrine. One of the most impressive 
of these, to my mind, I witnessed, as we were 
about entering the town of Cabul. Here I saw 
for the first time a shepherd dividing the 
sheep from the goats. This division was pre- 
paratory to yarding them for the night. The 
fold into which they were placed was located 
on the outskirts of the town, and consisted of 
an open enclosure, surrounded with a stone 
wall, some six or seven feet high. Across it 
ran another wall, dividing it into two parts. 
On the side facing the road there were two 
doors, some eight or ten feet apart, opening into 
the two divisions. Just as we arrived in front 



Scenes in Galilee* 



349 



of this fold, seeing a shepherd near by approach- 
ing it at the head of a large flock, we halted to 
witness this interesting ceremony. In this 
relative position he continued to advance until 
reaching a point in front of the fold, about 
twelve feet from the wall, and midway between 
the two doors, he suddenly halted, turned 
around facing the flock, which was stretched 
out in a long line, and then commenced, as they 
advanced, to separate the sheep from the goats, 
that were mixed up promiscuously. He turned 
the sheep to his right, and the goats to his left; 
the former passing in at the door on the right, 
and the latter entering the other. Two boys 
stood at the two entrances to stop (I suppose) 
any sheep or goat that might by accident or 
otherwise get to the wrong door, and to assist 
in this way in the division. The ease with 
which the whole thing was accomplished, was 
truly astonishing, and showed most conclusive- 
ly that the animals had become familiar with 
the process. There was quite a large number 
of young lambs and kids in the flock, and I 
learned upon inquiring through Gabriel, that 
during such times as the flocks are accompanied 
with their young, it is especially necessary to 
keep them separated from each other during the 
night, as without this precaution, in the absence 
of the shepherd, the lambs would in all prob- 
ability suffer harm from the dams of the kids, 
and perhaps vice versa. 

15 



350 



Wonders of the East. 



I need scarcely remark, that the great inter- 
est with which I witnessed this, to me, novel 
performance, was owing to the fact, that Jesus, 
who had often seen the same thing in the days 
of His flesh, made use of it to picture before the 
minds of his hearers, and to illustrate to all 
mankind one of the most stupendous and 
grandest events that is to be connected with our 
world's history ; the great and final day of 
judgment, when " before Him shall be gathered 
all nations, and He shall separate them one 
from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep 
from the goats ; and he shall set the sheep on 
his right hand, but the goats on the left." 

After the above instructive scene was ended, 
we entered the town of Cabul, which is in the 
north of Galilee, some twelve miles from the 
Mediterranean. It was not, however, until we 
had made application to some six or seven 
houses, that we succeeded in finding accommo- 
dations for the night. In fact I had began to 
fear that we should not find lodgings at all. On 
dismounting and entering our temporary home 
I saw there was the same general destitution of 
furniture of all kinds, as I had seen at the other 
Arab houses, at which I had staid. The build- 
ing was constructed of stone, and about eighteen 
feet square, and one story high. The ceiling 
was arched, which supported a flat stone roof. 
There was but one room, which was rendered 
dark and gloomy by its smoked up walls and 



Scenes in Galilee. 



351 



want of windows. The floor, which was also 
of stone, was constructed thus : A portion of it 
at the door, of about seven or eight feet square, 
was some fifteen inches lower than the rest. 
This depressed part was about on a level with 
the ground on the outside. It had perpendicu- 
lar sides next to the more elevated portions of 
the floor, so that two short stone steps assisted 
you in ascending from the lower to the higher. 
While the latter was tolerably smooth for Arab 
masonry, being laid with mortar, the former was 
merely paved with small cobble-stones. I had 
seen precisely the same peculiar contrivance in 
reference to the floor in each of the other Arab 
houses in which I had stayed. I had been very 
much perplexed in my mind as to the design of 
this arrangement, but had finally concluded, 
from the filthy appearance of this depressed 
portion of the floor at the door, that it was 
intended to receive the sweepings of the room, 
and the slops of the family ; and I had already 
philosophized on the convenience of the ar- 
rangement, and the great economy in the con- 
sumption of time, in thus doing away with the 
necessity of going even to the door for these 
purposes. In this conviction, I should in all 
probability have left the country, but for the 
experience of this night. 

I had just finished my supper and had taken 
my seat on the floor, next to the wall, to rest 
the best I could in such a low position, when a 



352 



Wonders of the East, 



half-dozen or more fowls entered the room 
through the open door, with such an air of fa- 
miliarity that showed that they felt very much 
at home. I supposed, however, at the time, 
that they were intruders, and that they would 
soon be driven out by some member of the 
family ; but in this I was mistaken. Soon one 
of them flew up upon a pole, which I had not 
observed before, but which was suspended above 
the door within a foot of the wall, and which 
reached from one side to the other of this de- 
pressed portion of the floor. This first one was 
speedily followed by all the rest. I saw at a 
glance, as they arranged themselves side by 
side upon the pole, that they were quartered 
there tor the night. I felt that this was too 
much ; that it was enough to have our room 
answer the purpose of a kitchen, sitting-room, 
dining-room, and bed-room, without its being 
turned into a hen-roost in the bargain. But 
remembering the old adage : " When you are in 
Rome you must do as Romans do," I concluded 
that in all probability, uncomplaining endur- 
ance and submission under the circumstances 
would be more philosophical than any attempt 
upon my part to regulate the internal affairs of 
an Arab dwelling. 

Things remained thus until about eight 
o'clock in the evening, when there was a new 
development of affairs. Just then, as I sat 
musing upon my strange surroundings, I heard 



Scenes in Galilee. 



353 



heavy footsteps approaching, like those of some 
huge beast. The next moment the door opened, 
and, to my utter astonishment, my muleteer 
entered, leading in my horse. He immediately 
turned the animal partly around in the square 
low place inside by the door, of which I have 
already spoken, tied his halter to a hook in the 
wall, and poured out his feed on the elevated 
portion of the floor, with all the sangfroid of a 
pasha, which the animal as unceremoniously 
went to eating. I at once forgave the horse, 
however, for the intrusion, as I thought he in 
all probability mistook our domicile, from its 
appearance, to be a stable for animals instead of 
a dwelling for people ; and that we were the in- 
truders rather than himself. But I had very 
different feelings toward whoever had a hand in 
this manifest outrage. Turning to Gabriel, who 
was sitting on the floor only a few feet from me 
smoking his Turkish pipe, and looking upon the 
scene through the indolently curling smoke with 
the apparent tranquillity of an intoxicated Chi- 
nese opium-eater, I demanded of him to tell me, 
in the name of common sense, what all this 
meant. " Why was my horse brought into the 
house ?" 

" Because," he replied rather hesitatingly and 
with apparent bewilderment, " they have no 
where else to put him." 

" But," said I, " the weather is warm, and it 
will not harm the horse in the least to stand out 



354 



Wonders of the East. 



in the open air ; and I am sure it would be bet- 
ter for him and us too to be out of doors in the 
fresh air, than to be pent up with these hens and 
other disagreeables in this one room. I expect- 
ed to put up with many inconveniences when I 
started on this route, and this I have already- 
done, and I am still willing to submit to any- 
thing that is reasonable ; but I am not willing 
to have the horse here. It is certainly enough 
to have the room in which we eat and sleep 
turned into a hen-roost, as it has been, without 
turning it into a horse-stable, also, at the same 
time." 

" Oh, if you don't want the horse here^ then 
we will take him out. They (the family) told 
me to have the horse here to accommodate you. 
But if I take the horse out, then they bring in 
the cow, but now they leave the cow out for 
your horse." 

" What, do you mean to say that they stable 
a cow in their house ?" 

" Why, certainly, they keep her here nights. 
What does you think that place for," pointing 
to the depressed portion of the floor where my 
horse was standing, " but for the cow ?" 

"I did not know, how should I? I knew it 
looked filthy enough, but 1 certainly never sus- 
pected that it was designed for any such pur- 
pose as that ; but, in the name of reason, why 
do they want to stable their cow in their house? 
why not leave the brute out in the open air, 



Scenes in Galilee. 355 

where she would be just as comfortable as she 
would here ?" 

" If they leave the cow out doors, then some 
one must watch the cow, or else the Bedouins 
steal the cow; so they keep the cow in the 
house. The Bedouins be one very bad people," 

" But where is the cow now ? it seems they 
have got some other place for her to-night." 

" The cow is out with my mule and the don- 
key, and the muleteer, he watch them all night, 
just as he watch your horse, my mule, and his 
donkey, almost all nights ever since we leave 
Jerusalem. But shall 1 tell him take your horse 
out?" 

" No, not if they will bring in the cow. I 
had much rather have the presence of the horse 
than the cow." 

So the thing was settled. The horse was per- 
mitted to remain, and I, of course, was com- 
pelled to submit to this abominable arrange- 
ment in order to avoid a worse evil. 

How strange it is that this people seemingly 
learn nothing from experience ; that they make 
no progress in civilization. As their ancestors 
lived three thousand years ago, so they live to- 
day. Where, and when, this filthy practice of 
housing cattle with the family originated, I 
know not ; but I suppose it commenced a long 
time ago. When Saul, on the eve of his great 
and final battle with the Philistines, visited the 
witch of Endor, " She had a fatted calf in the 



356 



Wonders of the East, 



house" which she killed (1 Sam. xxviii : 24). 
The calf being stabled in the house, it is very 
likely the cow was also, and, in all probability, 
this was the common practice of the country at 
that time. 

The hour for retirement for the night having 
arrived, Gabriel prepared my bed for me on the 
floor, where I hoped Morpheus would come to 
my relief. My surroundings, however, were 
not of that character that invite repose. Be- 
sides, the fleas were too numerous and hungry 
to allow even rest to any one who was not hard- 
ened against them. After hours of vain at- 
tempts to get some sleep, I sat up in my hard 
bed, and leisurely surveyed the room by the 
light of a lamp that was burning somewhat 
dimly. There was the horse, so annoyed by the 
fleas as to keep him stamping and rubbing, and 
nipping or biting himself all night long. The 
hens, too, were restless, evidently disturbed by 
them also, or other insects, perhaps both. Near 
me lay Gabriel, who was snoring most of the 
time laboriously, as were also some of the mem- 
bers of the family, which consisted of the hus- 
band, wife, and nine children, three of the latter 
being young women grown. All, by turns, 
were giving unmistakable evidences, by manipu- 
lations and otherwise, of being somewhat dis- 
turbed in their slumbers by sleepless insects, 
that understood the philosophy of taking advan- 
tage of circumstances. The scene was certainly 



Scenes in Northern Galilee. 357 



novel in the extreme, and would have been very 
amusing indeed had I have been in a frame of 
mind to have enjoyed it ; but having had no 
sleep the night before, because of similar sur- 
roundings, and being nearly worn out with toil, 
privations, and anxiety, I was hardly in a con- 
dition to enjoy even the grotesque and the ludi- 
crous. The whole affair, however, was exceed- 
ingly impressive, and my lodgings at Cabul, as 
well as in other places with Arab families, will 
be long remembered in connection with my tour 
through Palestine as among the most romantic 
incidents of my life. 



LETTER XXX VI. 

SCENES IN NORTHERN GALILEE. 

Farming Utensils. — Season of Plowing. — No 
Wagons or Bridges. — The Weather. — Man- 
ner of Collecting Salt. — An Explanation of 
" If the Salt have Lost its Savor." — Climate. 
— Birth of Christ. — A Telegraph. — Wood- 
land. 

ALONG and sleepless night at Cabul being 
ended, we prepared, at an early hour, for 
the resumption of our journey. Before the sun 
had risen we were in our saddles, and on our 



358 



Wonders of the East. 



way to Acre. We had proceeded but a short 
distance, when we fell in with some half dozen 
of fellahs (farmers), who were on their way to 
their farms, which lay off in the direction in 
which we were going. As the people of this 
country live altogether in cities and villages, 
their farms are frequently located at quite a dis- 
tance from their dwellings. I am told that in 
many instances their farms are so far away that 
they take with them a quantity of their tough 
bread, a few figs and olives in a leathern bag — 
(the " scrip ? ' of the ]STew Testament) which 
hangs from their shoulders, and remain out in 
the open country until their plowing and sowing 
is finished. As we rode in company with them 
for some distance, I had a good opportunity to 
closely inspect their outfits for farming pur- 
poses. Their teams consisted of oxen, cows, 
and donkeys, yoked together according to the 
whim, taste, or convenience of their owners, 
with the most laughable rope-gearing imagin- 
able. I might say, in this connection, that the 
cattle of Palestine are small, with short, ill- 
formed horns, and are of an inferior character. 
Their donkeys, however, are large and sprightly. 
Their plows are scarcely entitled to that appel- 
lation, being very small, and merely rooting the 
ground, instead of turning a furrow. The plow- 
beam is nothing more than a tapering pole, 
some eight or ten feet long, the end of which is 
fastened in the yoke of the team. In fact, all 



Scenes in Northern Galilee. 359 

their implements of husbandry are very rude, 
and undoubtedly remain much the same as they 
were two thousand years ago. I am told they 
cannot sow and plow in with one team more 
than half an acre per day. Hence their plow- 
ing and sowing lasts a long time each season. 
As their plows turn no furrows, they do not 
plow as we do, by keeping the off ox or horse 
in the furrow ; but they commence on one side 
of the lot, and double backward and forward, so 
as to have the near and off oxen alternately next 
to the plowed ground. 

I have seen no harrows anywhere in this 
country ; and, indeed, I am informed they have 
none of any kind. In this particular they have 
degenerated from former times, as harrows are 
spoken of in the Old Testament. 

It really seems strange to see so many plow- 
ing and sowing in January, in the coldest wea- 
ther. For although the winters here are mild 
and without frost, the rains are frequent, and 
the winds are often very chilly. "Winter, how- 
ever, seems to have been the time for plowing 
in the days of Solomon, who says, " The slug- 
gard will not plow by reason of the cold (mar- 
gin reads winter), therefore shall he beg in time 
of harvest, and have nothing" (Prov. xx : 4). 
The necessity of plowing in the winter is princi- 
pally owing, I am told, to their inability to 
break up the ground with their poor miserable 
plows before the fall of copious rains, which 



Wonders of the East. 



soften the ground, and which does not usually 
take place until December. If they had good 
plows and proper teams, there is no doubt but 
that they might do their plowing in pleasant 
weather, and then at the proper time their sow- 
ing could be done without much trouble. But, 
under the present circumstances, those who ex- 
pect to reap must sow, therefore the plowing 
must be done in winter, however severe the 
weather. 

What is true of their farming utensils is true 
of about everything else. Among these Arabs 
there is no prosperity, no energy, no activity, 
no life. The rough, crooked, narrow and broken 
roads, or paths, that you see wherever you go, 
are sufficient evidence of this fact. I have seen 
but two in this whole country that can with any 
propriety be called roads. One is the great 
thoroughfare from Jaffa to Jerusalem ; the other 
is from Jerusalem to Bethlehem. Besides, I 
have now traveled near three hundred miles 
over this land, and I have not yet seen a single 
carriage, wagon, cart, or a wheel vehicle of any 
kind ; no, not so much as a wheelbarrow. 
Neither have I yet seen the first bridge of any 
description, except the one over the brook 
Kedron at Jerusalem. Whenever and wherever 
you come to a stream you must ford it as best 
you can. This to us, at first sight, would appear 
to be a serious difficulty in the way of the pea- 
santry traveling, as they generally do, on foot ; 



Scenes in Northern Galilee. 361 



but in their every day costumes they approach 
so near to a state of puris naturalibus, that they 
experience from this source but little incon- 
venience. 

The Weathek. — The weather during my en- 
tire northern trip thus far, which I had feared 
would be very inclement, as it frequently is at 
this. season of the year, has been exceedingly 
fine. There has been but little rain since I 
landed at Jaffa. This has been all the more ap- 
preciated by me, from the fact that January is 
reckoned as part of the rainy season. I was 
told by several that if I attempted to make a 
tour through Palestine in the winter, I would 
find it almost impossible, on account of the 
heavy and constant rains that generally pre- 
vailed at the time. I had hoped, however, that 
I would find January embraced in the interim 
between the early and latter rains referred to in 
the Scriptures. This hope has been fully re- 
alized. On my arrival I found that the rains 
which had been excessive in December, falling 
almost unceasingly the last two weeks of the 
month, had just ended. Consequently, I have 
been troubled but very little with rain. For a 
week past there has not been so much as one 
shower. In this I have been exceedingly for- 
tunate, for I am told that the month of January 
cannot by any means be depended upon for fine 
weather. That the rainy season varies consider- 



362 



Wonders of the East. 



ably at different periods ; sometimes commenc- 
ing as early as November, and ending in Feb- 
ruary; and then in some cases it is delayed 
even until J anuary, and not ending before May. 
What is called the wet season, however, usually 
commences in October, and extends to about 
the middle or end of the following April. The 
most protracted rain storms generally occur in 
December and in February. The other part of 
the year, namely, from April to October, is 
called the dry season, during which time there 
is scarcely even so much as a shower. Hence, 
farming in the summer, without resorting to 
irrigation, is out of the question. Whatever is 
done in this line at present must be done in the 
wet season. The dryness of the summer, how- 
ever, has its advantages as well as its disadvan- 
tages. Among these is that of gathering the 
incrustations of salt from the marshes along the 
sea shore, where the water has been evaporated 
by the long drought, leaving the salt behind ; 
this being the only way that salt is obtained in 
this country. As a natural result, much earth 
and other impurities are gathered with it, so 
that there is quite a percentage of other matter, 
that only serves to increase the bulk and to 
render it unsavory. This will explain a certain 
passage in our Lord's sermon on the Mount, in 
which he says, " Ye are the salt of the earth, 
but if the salt have lost its savor wherewith 
shall it be salted ? It is thenceforth good for 



Scenes in Northern Galilee. 363 



nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden 
under foot of men." (Matt, v : 13). Now, with 
those who know nothing about other than clean, 
pure salt, manufactured or quarried from the 
mines, the above passage is a mystery, as such 
salt cannot lose its saltness. But not so with 
the salt of Palestine. When exposed to rains, 
and other injurious influences, it loses its salt- 
ness, when the residue is good for nothing, and 
being positively injurious to land, destroying its 
fertility, it is thrown into the street or road to 
be trodden under foot of men. 

The Climate of Palestine I have found to 
be much milder in the winter than I had ex- 
pected. Ever since I landed here, up to the 
present time, which includes nearly the whole 
month of January, I have seen no snow except 
at a distance, on the top of Mount Hermon, 
where it lays the year round. In fact, I am 
told it seldom snows here at all, and more 
rarely freezes. I have not suffered with the 
cold at any time. The average of the ther- 
mometer in this country in winter, for five con- 
secutive years, as reported by Mr. Barclay, was 
as follows: December, 53.3; January, 49.6; 
February, 52.1 — averaging, each winter, 51.6 ; 
or 19.6 degrees above the freezing point. In 
fact, I have seen flowers blooming by the way- 
side and in the fields every day that I have 
been traveling in this land. Pasturage is good ; 



364 Wonders of the East. 



and hence, all through, the country — in Judea, 
Samaria, and Galilee — I have seen numerous 
flocks of sheep and goats grazing in the plains 
and on the hillsides, attended by their respective 
shepherds. 

Bieth of Christ. — This custom in mid-winter 
has been all the more noticeable and impressive 
to my mind, from the fact that it has an impor- 
tant bearing upon the argument of season fre- 
quently used against the dogma that Christ was 
bom on the 25th of December. It has been 
maintained that the shepherds of this country 
were not out with their herds so late in the sea- 
son as the 25th of December ; and that inas- 
much as they were out with their flocks at the 
time of Christ's birth, that event could not have 
occurred at the above date. Xow, from what I 
have seen, and from what I know, it seems to 
me the above argument, so often urged, must 
be abandoned. It does not follow, however, 
that there is any more dependence to be placed 
"upon the correctness of the above date. The 
argument of season may still be urged in 
another form. It may. with much reason, be 
doubted whether the Eoman government would 
have fixed upon the very worst season of the 
year for a registration of the people — involving 
such an amount of travel over these horrible 
roads and amid winter's storms. 

As we journeyed on, we were, at length, on 



Scenes in Northern Galilee. 3^5 

gaining a little hill-top, gladdened with the 
sight of the "Great Sea." The scene that 
spread out before us, from this point, was one 
of rare magnificence and beauty. On our left, 
at no great distance, stood Mount Carmel, all 
muffled in green. Directly in our front lay the 
large and fertile plain of Acre, extending down 
to the sea and along its shore, all beautifully 
fringed with its white sand and breakers ; while 
in the background, stretching far away, was the 
blue Mediterranean. 

A telegraph-wire has recently been put up 
between Jerusalem and Beyroot, to the great 
astonishment of the natives, who look upon it 
with that mixture of superstition and wonder 
that generally obtains among a low and illite- 
rate people. As we were passing it, Gabriel 
called my attention to it as a most marvelous 
affair; and stated, in evidence of this, that by 
some means or other, a person standing in Je- 
rusalem could talk to another standing away off 
in Beyroot. He also stated that he had been 
told that it came from America ; that it was 
invented there. " Now," inquired he, " is that 
true ?" On my answering him in the affirma- 
tive, he added: "Then, perhaps, as you come 
from that country, you can explain him to me, 
so I understand him." I immediately pro- 
ceeded to enlighten his mind upon the subject 
the best I could. When I had finished, he 
shook his head, remarking at the same time: 



366 



Wonders of the East. 



" Me cannot comprehend." After I had made 
another attempt to unfold to him its principle 
of operation, in which I undoubtedly failed, as 
I had before, he very gravely remarked: "I 
think the English people " (they call all " Eng- 
lish " who speak the English language) " must 
have had something to do with making Moses 
rod — what the Bible tells about. That rod very 
much like this wire on the poles. 1 cannot 
comprehend Moses' rod — I cannot comprehend 
telegraph." J was very much amused .with 
Gabriel's originality of thought, and with his 
supposed analogy between these two, to him, 
incomprehensibles. I however assured him, 
with as much gravity as I could command under 
the circumstances, that neither the Americans, 
nor the English, nor any other people had any- 
thing to do with Moses' rod ; that the wonders 
accomplished through its instrumentality were to 
be directly attributed to God. He replied that 
he once thought so too ; but that he now thought 
differently. Thus, it would seem as though this 
subtile agent, electricity, as developed in start- 
ling telegrams, has unfortunately tended to un- 
settle the religious convictions of Gabriel, and 
to infuse into his mind an element of skepticism. 

We have just passed through a piece of wood- 
land, of perhaps one hundred acres or more, in- 
terspersed with scattering trees of oak. This is 
the first piece of timbered land through which 
I have passed since I have been in this country. 



Northern Galilee. 



367 



I have been so long accustomed to travel, day 
after day, where no wood is to be seen except 
fruit trees, that a grove of natural timber, al- 
though the trees be few and far between, looks 
beautiful indeed. After leaving the wood and 
passing over a few hills and narrow valleys, we 
entered upon the beautiful and fertile plain of 
Acre, which is some six miles in width and ex- 
tends a great distance along the coast. An 
hour's ride across this extensive plain brought 
us to the city of Acre. 



LETTER XXXVII. 

NORTHERN GALILEE. 

Acre. — Its History. — Its Present Appearance. 
— Syrian Sheep. — Syrian Goats. — Caifa. — 
My Settlement with Gabriel. 

THIS is the most northern city of the Holy 
Land on its western coast, and stands upon 
an angular point jutting out into the sea, thereby 
forming the upper end of the bay or roadstead 
of Acre, as does the promontory of Mount Car- 
mel, some three leagues distant, the lower or 
southern end. Acre is an old city, having been 
a place of considerable importance in the days 
of Joshua, when it was known by the name of 



368 



Wonders of the East. 



Accho. Perhaps no city in all Palestine, ex- 
cept Jerusalem, has suffered more terribly from 
the scourge of devastating wars than this. 
Being considered the key to the Holy Land, it 
has been the centre of many a fiercely-contested 
battle. In fact, it has been so frequently be- 
sieged, stormed, and captured, that its history 
is little else than the sickening details of despe- 
rate encounters and terrible struggles between 
various hostile forces, often terminating in a 
wholesale slaughter of its inhabitants. 

The Crusaders, in 1192, invested it by sea 
and land, and took it by storm after a siege of 
three years. During that time there were up- 
wards of one hundred skirmishes and nine 
fiercely contested battles, in which, it is said, 
three hundred thousand were slain. In 1291, 
the Saracens laid siege to it with three hundred 
thousand men. The assault and defence were 
alike desperate and determined. The fury of 
hate and the madness of despair mingled in the 
deadly strife, until the carnage became truly 
appalling. The city at length was taken by 
storm, when every street became the scene of a 
new battle, as no quarters were given by those 
blood-thirsty hordes ; even when all armed re- 
sistance had ceased, the horrid wwk of slaughter 
still went on until the streets ran down with 
human gore. This ended the possessions of the 
Crusaders in Palestine. Acre, or St. Jean 
d'Acre, as then called, was their last strong- 



Northern Galilee. 



369 



hold in this country. With its capture and 
overthrow, their power was forever broken. 
And thus, after a loss of an incredible number 
of men, this mad and foolish enterprise of the 
Pope came to an inglorious end. 

The severest ordeal the city has passed 
througli in modern times, took place in 1840, 
when it was bombarded by the Allied fleets of 
Europe, in order to restore it and all Palestine, 
to the Ottoman power, against the revolt of the 
Pasha of Egypt. On that memorable occasion, 
the terrific storm of iron hail came crashing into 
the city with such terrible fury that not only 
minarets, but public and private buildings were 
destroyed. On the side facing the sea, the 
entire line of houses, and most of its massive 
walls were laid in ruins. But the crowning dis- 
aster on that occasion was the destruction of 
the citadel. A bomb from an English steam 
ship plunged into the magazine. The explo- 
sion which followed was awful in the extreme. 
The garrison, consisting of two thousand men, 
were instantly hurled into eternity, while their 
blackened and mangled remains mingling with 
the mass of ruins, presented a most horrid spec- 
tacle. Not only was the citadel annihilated, but 
everything else in its immediate vicinity was 
destroyed. Its defenders were so appalled by 
the calamity that they at once surrendered the 
city, and fled in dismay and confusion. Not 
only was Acre surrendered, but in its fall the . 



370 Wonders of the East. 



whole country again fell under the control of 
the Turks, in whose possession it has continued 
ever since. 

It was to me an interesting fact to know that 
the Apostle Paul, and Luke the Evangelist, 
when on their way to Jerusalem, on one occa- 
sion, landed here, and " saluted the brethren 
and abode with them one day." (Acts xxi : 7.) 
The city at that time was known by the name 
of Ptolmais, Ptolemy, king of Egypt, having 
seized it in b. c. 100, and having given to it his 
own name. 

The present city, although pleasantly situated, 
presents a wretched appearance. Broken walls, 
crumbling arches, and old tumble down houses 
are leading features of Acre. The buildings 
are of stone, with flat roofs. The streets are 
narrow, with the usual filth of Turkish towns. 
The bazaars, although mean in appearance, 
were tolerably well supplied. The population 
is said to number near twelve thousand. 

On our way from Acre to Caifa or Haifa, a 
distance of nine miles, we fell in with a very 
large flock of sheep and goats that were going 
in the same direction. They were not being 
driven as such animals are driven by us, but 
just as I had seen in scores of other cases, they 
were following their shepherd more orderly than 
they would have been driven. It was to this uni- 
versal custom that our Saviour referred, when 
speaking of himself as the good shepherd, and 



Northern Galilee. 



371 



his people as a flock, He said, " He goeth before 
them, and the sheep follow Him." And again, 
" My sheep hear my voice, and I know them 
and they follow me." 

I have often read that the sheep and goats of 
Syria were very peculiar; but it had always 
sounded to me so fabulous, that it was with 
some surprise that I have realized the fact. The 
sheep have a very large appendage of fat on 
the rump, that constitutes a part of the tail, 
that is said to weigh from eight to fifteen pounds, 
and which is regarded as the most delicate and 
delicious part of the animal. This fact explains, 
as well as furnishes the reason, why it was, that 
in offering sheep in sacrifice, under the Leviti- 
cal law, so much stress was laid on ottering the 
" fat and the rump." 

The goats have remarkably long ears, a foot 
or more in length, that hang down and turn up 
at the ends outwardly, so that as the animal 
feeds, the bends in the ears rest upon the 
ground. Their hair is also long and shaggy, 
giving them much the appearance of sheep 
when viewed at a distance. 

On reaching the ancient river Kishon, by the 
side of which Elijah slew the four hundred and 
fifty prophets of Baal, and which was celebrated 
in the song of Deborah in connection with Sis- 
era's defeat, we found some difficulty in crossing 
it, as the water was high, in consequence of the 
previous rains. Our muleteer, however, soon di- 



372 



Wonders of the East 



vested himself of his clothing- and led the way 
out around through the surf on a sand bar. In 
this way he was enabled to find the shoalest 
water, Gabriel and myself following at a re- 
spectful distance, so as to avail ourselves of the 
full benefit of his experience. 

Half an hour's ride from this point brought 
us to Caifa. This town is situated at the north- 
ern base of Mount Carmel, and on the southern 
margin of the Bay of Acre, which on this side 
makes a deep indentation of the shore. It is a 
walled town, but is of no great size, nor is it of 
much importance. Its Castle, which stands on 
high ground back of the city, and its walls are 
partly in ruins, from the bombardment of the 
place by the allied fleets of Europe, in 1810, 
when Acre was also so terribly shattered. Its 
buildings are very old and shabby in appear- 
ance. Its streets, every one of which I have 
traversed, are unpaved, narrow, and very filthy. 
Caifa, however, is a place of some trade. There 
were some three or four vessels lying out at 
anchor before the town, one of which was a 
large English brig which was taking in a cargo 
of wheat for England. Contrary to my expect- 
ations, I learned that a considerable quantity of 
wheat is brought from the surrounding country 
to this point for shipment. 

Another thing that interested me was the 
fact, that, half a mile west of Caifa, I found a 
German settlement consisting of about two 



Northern Galilee. 



373 



hundred persons. They have established a 
school, built a church, settled a pastor, and 
secured a physician. There I put up at a hotel 
kept by one of their number, where I was very 
kindly cared for. 

This terminated my travels in Palestine. 
From this point I had determined to take a 
steamer to Beyroot. Here my contract with 
Gabriel ended, and I accordingly paid him the 
balance due him for his services. After having 
taken his receipt in full for the same, I remark- 
ed that this completed the whole matter. 

"Yes," he replied, "all except the back- 
sheesh" (a present). 

" Did I not tell you distinctly before we left 
Jerusalem that I would pay no backsheesh ?" 

"But I expect backsheesh just the same. 
Arab thinks more of backsheesh than he does of 
his pay. Gentlemen always gives backsheesh ?" 

" Well, sir, I have paid you all I owed you, 
and all you asked when we made the contract, 
so that ends the matter." 

" Why you no pay me backsheesh ? Have I 
not been kind to you all the time ?" 

" Yes," I replied, " but what of that, have I 
not paid you for it ? " 

" No, no ! " said he, " you no pay me to be 
kind to you. I fills my contract, you pays me 
for that, then I be kind to you beside ; you no 
pay me for that." 

"But did you not agree to be kind to me? 



374 



Wonders of the East, 



was that not in the contract ? I understood as 
a matter of course, that you would treat me 
with kindness." 

" Xo, nothing said about that. I didn't agree 
to be kind to you." 

" How much do you think you ought to 
have ?" I inquired. 

" I expect twenty-five francs," (about five 
dollars), he replied. 

"Well, sir, I am a long ways from home ; I 
know not what special demands I may yet have 
for money ; I may be taken sick, and need all 
my means ; I am much obliged to you for your 
kindness, but I cannot pay you for that ; but I 
will do you a favor in another way ; I will pub- 
lish your name in an American newspaper as 
my dragoman" 

This proved to be a happy thought. He im- 
mediately on my reassuring him I would do it, 
fell in with the measure, and in this way our 
settlement, that at one time looked as though it 
was likely to terminate unpleasantly, was ami- 
cably concluded. Gabriel then bid me an af- 
fectionate farewell, as did also the muleteer, 
when we pleasantly parted. 



Mount CarmeL 



375 



LETTER XXXVIII. 



MOUNT CARMEL. 



frs Associations. — Home of Elijah. — The Terri- 
ble Drought. — The Great Trial. — Elijah's 
Triumph. — The People Reclaimed. — The 
Destruction of the Prophets of Baal. — The 
Descent of Pain. 

A FTER having spent a pleasant night at 



J-Jl. Caifa, I set out next morning to ascend 
Mount Carmel. Passing over a narrow but 
fertile plain that lies at the base of the moun- 
tain, upon a portion of which Caipha is built, 
we commenced the ascent. The road leading 
to the summit, and to the convent, runs up 
diagonally, and is quite steep, yet better than 
most roads in Palestine. In about thirty min- 
utes we had reached the mountain top, from 
which we had a most extensive view of 
the sea, and the surrounding country. Mount 
Carmal, which at its western extremity projects 
boldly into the sea, stretches back into the 
country some fifteen or eighteen miles ; running 
about a southeast course ; its eastern extremity 
terminating abruptly, very much like its west- 
ern. Its height is said to average fifteen hun- 
dred feet. It is of limestone formation, and 
abounds with caves, where jackals, wild swine, 




376 



Wonders of the East. 



wolves, and even hyenas, find ample shelter. 
Besides its surface is covered with bushes and 
various kinds of odoriferous plants and flowers, 
while down its sides are numerous, deeply fur- 
rowed, rocky ravines, filled with almost impen- 
etrable jungles, giving to the entire ridge a lux- 
uriant, verdant beauty. It was undoubtedly in 
consequence of this, that Isaiah alludes to " the 
excellency of Carmel." 

Its peculiar interest to the traveler, however, 
is found more especially in its connection with 
Bible history. Here some of the most inter- 
esting narratives had their location. We read 
of Nabal, " whose possessions were in Carmel," 
who " was very great," and who " had three 
thousand sheep, and a thousand goats;" and 
whose uncivil answer to David's messengers, 
would have cost him his life, had it not have 
been for his good wife Abigail, who hastened to 
David with a fine present, by which he was ap- 
peased (1 Sam. xxv ). Here is pointed out the 
cave which is called the " Cave of the Sons of 
the Prophets," in which Obadiah in the time of 
a great drought, foretold by Elijah, is said to have 
hid the hundred prophets, and fed them with 
bread and water to save them from the fury of 
the infamous Jezebel (1 Kings xviii.) Here 
Elijah lived in a cave, or grotto, over which it 
is said the present convent stands. This is an 
immense structure, and is said to have cost one 
hundred thousand dollars. Here it was that 



Mount CarmeL 



377 



the messengers of King Ahaziah, who were on 
their way from Samaria, " to inquire of Baal- 
Zebub, the god of Ekron," in reference to the 
recovery of their master from the effects of a 
fall, met Elijah, who, after reproving them for 
going to an idol for council, told them to return, 
and say to Ahaziah, " Thou shalt not come 
down from that bed on which thou art gone up, 
but shalt surely die." The king, upon the re- 
ception of this news, resolves to punish the 
prophet for his message, and for this purpose 
sends fifty armed men from his royal guard to 
capture him, and bring him before the king to 
answer for his reputed insolence. They ascend 
the hill and soon stand before Elijah, who calls 
fire down from heaven, and consumes them. 
Another fifty was also sent, that were destroyed 
in like manner (2 Kings 1). Here, too, Elisha 
seems to have lived, when the Shunamite's 
child died. The bereaved mother went to Car- 
mel, and brought the prophet to her house, who 
restored her child to life (2 Kings iv : 18-35). 

But the most renowned event of Mount Car- 
mel, and that which has made it most familiar 
with Bible readers, and which has lifted it up 
into a heavenly atmosphere of moral grandeur, 
that has made it almost divine, was the wonder- 
ful restoration of the Israelites to allegiance to 
God in the days of King Ahab, by one of the 
grandest demonstrations of the vast superiority 
of Jehovah to idols, that has ever been witnessed 



378 



Wonders of the East. 



in any age or nation. The land had been given 
up to idolatry by royal authority. The infa- 
mous Jezebel had slain the prophets of the 
Lord. Groves and temples were consecrated to 
Baal on every side. Near a thousand priests 
officiated at his altars. They were defended, 
honored, and supported by royalty. Four hun- 
dred of them fed at Jezebel's table. Jehovah 
was dishonored and insulted by heathen abomi- 
nations, that were constantly multiplying. As 
ordinary means had failed to bring the people 
to a sense of their folly and wickedness, the 
Almighty adopted extraordinary measures to 
vindicate his honor, and to chastise them for 
their crimes. For this purpose the prophet 
Elijah was commissioned to declare to Ahab, 
that there should be neither dew nor rain for 
years but according to his word. The long 
drought was now inaugurated. At length the 
brooks, springs, and fountains failed. Vegeta- 
tion withered, died, and then ceased. Soon the 
lean and wasted visage of famine was abroad in 
all the land, in every hamlet, village, and city. 
ISTo words can tell the suffering of these dread- 
ful years. The fertile valleys of Sharon and 
Esdrelon became like the desert. Cattle per- 
ished by the thousand. Even the King, and 
Obadiah, his prime minister, went forth sepa- 
rately to search the land for grass and water, 
that they might not lose all the mules and 
horses. 



Mount CarmeL 



379 



At the expiration of three years and six 
months, Elijah appeared before Ahab, when 
each charged the other with this wide-spread 
calamity. In order to settle this controversy, 
Elijah proposed that the thousands of Israel be 
gathered together upon Mount Carmel, where 
God's altar had been thrown down, and where 
Ahab's idolatrous priests were wont to sacrifice 
to Baal, and there let two sacrifices be prepared, 
one by the priests of Baal, the other by Elijah, 
and then let each call upon the name of their 
God ; and that the one that answers by fire, let 
him receive the homage of the people. To this 
proposition the King consented, and at the ap- 
pointed time avast concourse of people crowded 
the heights of Carmel. In the presence of the 
haughty King and his courtiers, the four hun 
dred and fifty prophets of Baal were given the 
first chance. They prepared their sacrifice, and 
laid it upon their altar, and then commenced 
their cry, " O Baal, hear us !" And thus they 
cried from morning until noon ; but no answer 
came. But why not ? They have the advan- 
tage of numbers on their side, the sympathy of 
royalty to cheer them, a burning sky above 
them, and every thing as dry as tinder 
around them, the sun glowing with an 
intense heat, that threatens to kindle everything 
into a blaze, but not an item burns. The people 
are weary with waiting. Elijah takes advan- 
tage of the waning faith of the multitude, and 



38o 



Wonders of the East, 



derisively mocks their priests with reproachful 
taunts and insults, saying, " Cry aloud, for Ke is 
a god ; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, 
or he is on a journey, or peradventure he sleep- 
eth, and must be awakened." How this wither- 
ing irony must have cut their souls. In their 
frenzy and desperation and deep agony of soul, 
they leaped upon the altar, "And they cried 
aloud, and cut themselves, after their manner, 
with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed 
out of them but all to no purpose. They did 
all that mortals could do, until the day was far 
spent, and all hope had fled, and all further 
efforts were suspended. 

And now came Elijah's turn. The altar of 
the Lord is quickly repaired ; the wood and 
sacrifice are laid thereon; twelve barrels of 
water are poured upon the sacrifice and wood, 
until the whole is deluged, and the trench 
around the altar filled to overflowing. The pre- 
parations being completed, now see the King 
and his attendants, and the four hundred and 
fifty mortified priests, and all the people crowd- 
ing around this new centre of interest. What 
an awful moment of suspense — of expectation 
with some, of doubt with more, and of fear with 
others. There stands Elijah beside the water- 
dripping altar, calm and dignified. Hark ! lis- 
ten to the holy utterances of this man of God, 
as with upturned eyes, and a countenance all 
radiant witli expectation, he breaks the death- 



Mount CarmeL 



381 



like stillness of that hour with these words : 
" Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, 
let it be known this day that thou art God in 
Israel, and that I am thy servant," etc. " Then 
the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt 
sacrifice, and the wood, and the dust, and licked 
up the water that was in the trench." And 
while the priests stood astonished and confound- 
ed, the awe-stricken and trembling multitudes 
fell on their faces exclaiming, "The Lord he is 
God ; the Lord he is God." The people were 
reclaimed. The King was, at least, silenced, 
and perhaps mortified with his past folly, if not 
reformed. Elijah was triumphant. Jehovah 
was honored. To complete the victory, Elijah 
now called upon the people to seize the trem- 
bling priests of Baal, and to let not one of them 
escape. They were immediately taken down 
the northern slope of the mountain by the awe- 
stricken multitude to the river Kishon, which 
flows along its base, where they were all slain. 

The people having now given evidence of 
their repentance, Elijah returned up the moun- 
tain, and knelt down and prayed for rain, until 
his servant had gone seven times and looked out 
upon the Mediterranean, to see if there were 
any indications of rain. The last time, on his 
return, he exclaimed, " Behold, there ariseth a 
little cloud out of the sea like a man's hand." 
And Elijah said, " Go up, say unto Ahab, pre- 
pare thy chariot and get thee down, that the 



382 



Wonders of the East. 



rain stop thee not. And it came to pass, in the 
meanwhile, that the heavens were black with 
clouds and wind, and there was a great rain." 
(1 Kings xviii ) 

I felt that this was truly a hallowed place. I 
knelt down and prayed, not for rain, for it had 
already commenced to descend, not copiously, 
but gently, with indications, however, of raining 
more abundantly, as the wind had veered around 
to the westward. Eastward winds here bring 
fair weather, while westward winds bring 
storms. Hence it was that Elijah's servant 
looked out over the sea, to the west, for the in- 
dications of rain, when his master prayed. 



LETTER XXXIX. 

MY EXPERIENCE IN PALESTINE. 

The Superior Interest of the Holy Land. — My 
Toil and Privations. — Food, etc. — My Con- 
stant Fear and Anxiety. — Final Satisfaction. 

1HAYE now finished my rambles in Pales- 
tine, and I need scarcely say to those who 
have read my correspondence that, so far as 
sight-seeing is concerned, they have afforded me 
an untold amount of satisfaction. In fact, I 
have enjoyed my entire trip in this respect, thus 



My Experience in Palestine. 



383 



far, exceedingly well. One of the pleasant fea- 
tures of my journey lias been a steadily increas- 
ing enjoyment as I have advanced eastward. 
There is a greater amount of interest clustering 
around the magnificent remains of Rome, its 
marvelous Coliseum, its stately old Temples, its 
crumbling Caesarian palaces, and the exhumed 
ruins of unfortunate Pompeii and Herculaneum, 
that tell us of the habits, customs, and inner 
elements and structure of society two thousand 
years ago, than anything that may be seen in 
England, Germany, or Switzerland. But even 
all this is excelled by the wonders of Egypt, 
both as it respects their age and magnitude. 

One never tires in gazing upon her obelisks, 
catacombs, sphynxes, and pyramids, or in medi- 
tating upon her wondrous history. But as 
Egypt surpasses Italy in this respect, so Pales- 
tine has more sacred places, and holier memo- 
ries, than either. Never before have I expe- 
rienced such a profound interest, so deep, varied, 
and impressive. Never before have I been so 
filled with holy awe and reverence as I have 
during my journeyings in the Holy Land. I 
have read during that time about all of the his- 
torical parts of the Bible relating to this country. 
This has of itself furnished me with a rich intel- 
lectual feast. Never before had I read these 
portions of the Scriptures with such intense and 
thrilling emotions. This has been principally 
owing to the fact that the accounts of incidents 



3§4 



Wonders of the East. 



and narratives, and parables, and miracles, etc., 
relating to various localities I have read, in 
most instances, on the very spots to which they 
refer. This has given them a most surprising 
freshness, and a wonderful emphasis, clearness, 
and beauty, such as I had never seen or felt be- 
fore. They have, under these interesting cir- 
cumstances, been far more touching and instruc- 
tive, pathetic, and sublime ; and far more fas- 
cinating than the magic witchery of poetry or 
song. I can truly say w^ith David, during my 
tour of this land, " Oh, how love I thy law, it is 
my meditation all the day." 1 have received 
an amount of solid scriptural information, that 
I deem almost invaluable in my profession. In 
many instances, obscure passages of Holy Writ 
have become remarkably clear, while others, 
which were seemingly of trivial importance, 
have assumed a wonderful significance. 

And yet, after all, my journey in gs through 
Palestine have been attended with an amount 
of toil, privation, and annoyances that have 
been, at times, almost unendurable. Eleven 
days I have been in the saddle, which, of itself, 
would have been hard enough to one unaccus- 
tomed to ride on horseback ; but my suffering 
was greatly increased by being compelled to 
ride on a Syrian saddle, the stirrup-straps of 
which were fastened to the back part of the sad- 
dle, instead of on the front, as with us. In con- 
sequence of this absurd arrangement, I was con- 



My Experience in Palestine. 385 

tinually being pitched forward, and especially 
in riding down hills. Had I understood 
the character of a Syrian saddle before I left 
Jerusalem, as I did after one day's ride, I would 
never have consented to start with it. But after 
having left that city, Gabriel affirmed that it 
was impossible to procure any other kind. Why 
the stirrup-straps should be fixed in this awk- 
ward way I cannot imagine. I suppose it is 
simply the Arab fashion that has been handed 
down from remote ages, and cherished by them 
because of its antiquity. 

Another source of discomfort was the wretch- 
ed way in which my cooking was done. Ga- 
briel, who at the time I hired him, boasted to 
me of his skill in this department, turned out 
very much as I had feared, to be a mere novice 
in the culinary art. He had engaged to furnish 
me with chickens through the entire route. But 
as he had the dressing of them, I think almost 
any other kind of meat would have been prefer- 
able. In the first place, the fowls were unplea- 
santly thin in flesh. In the next place, neither 
the feet, head, or even the bill was removed be- 
fore cooking. These appendages might be con- 
sidered necessary as evidence that the biped 
was of the proper kind ; but I could see no good 
reason why the windpipe should not have been 
extracted, as its retension could not be consid- 
ered either useful or ornamental for table pur- 
poses. As to the feathers, what Gabriel failed 



386 



Wonders of the East. 



to pluck before cooking, I had the privilege of 
removing afterwards. 

After such a preparation they were boiled in 
a pot of water, without a particle of salt, pep- 
per, or the least seasoning of any kind. And it 
requires actual experience to know how insipid 
and tasteless a chicken is cooked after this 
fashion. Gabriel had brought along some salt 
for table purposes, but it contained such a mix- 
ture of dirt as gave it rather the appearance of 
pepper than salt, which, however, had the vir- 
tue of making it go all the farther. What was 
left of the chicken after the first meal I had cold 
for the next, and so on, until it was all consum- 
ed, when another was furnished in the same 
way, except after the first I had the feet and 
head removed before cooking. Thus, for seven 
days I had chicken every meal but one, pre- 
pared after this fashion. The one meal that 
constituted the exception was the fried fish at 
Tiberias. On informing Gabriel that 1 was 
tired of chicken, and must have a change, he 
replied, " Tou said you liked chicken, so I get 
chicken ; too late to change now and so, of 
course, the chicken continued to greet me every 
meal. To make matters still worse, the bread 
we took with us from Jerusalem soon became 
exhausted, and then we were compelled to eat 
the miserable black Arab bread prepared by 
the natives amid filth and vermin. Do you ask 
how I could eat such food ? I had to, or starve. 



My Experience in Palestine. 387 

In fact, I did in a measure starve before I could 
endure it. But hunger has a remarkable in- 
fluence in reconciling the mind, as well as the 
appetite, to poor and unsavory viands. I had, 
however, contracted for eggs and oranges, also, 
throughout the trip, in virtue of which I had 
one of each at each meal, which I enjoyed ex- 
ceedingly ; as I had the privilege of removing 
their outside coverings myself, I knew they 
were clean. 

But a still more serious inconvenience I suf- 
fered from the miserable lodgings that were fur- 
nished me, at least a part of the time. Three 
of these nights, which I spent in Arab houses, 
in consequence of the hardness of the stone 
floors upon which I lay, the abundance of rest- 
less, hungry, and voracious fleas, and other dis- 
comforts, I never closed my eyes for sleep. This 
want of rest, added to the toils of the day, and 
the miserable food and consequent hunger, con- 
stituted a heavy tax upon my physical energies. 

All this, however, was only a part of my suf- 
ferings. My constant anxiety of mind from 
various causes, at times almost unnerved me. 
One of these sources of disquietude was my 
money matters. To avoid the risk of losing my 
funds, I had deposited the amount necessary for 
my expenses with Jay Cook & Co., of New York, 
for which I received a traveling letter of credit, 
to draw on them at any place the amount I 
might need, within the limits of the sum depos- 



388 



Wonders of the East, 



ited. My fears were that in this far-off land, 
J ay Cook & Co. might not be sufficiently known 
to insure ine funds when applied for. Should I 
be refused, what would I do ? I would be re- 
duced immediately to beggary, in which condi- 
tion I could neither continue my journey or 
return home. These fears, however, were never 
realized. Throughout my entire tour, through 
Ireland, Scotland, England, Holland, Germany, 
Switzerland, France, Italy, Egypt, and Syria, 
wherever I have presented my letter of credit, 
the amount asked for has been advanced with- 
out the least hesitation. I am fully satisfied 
that there are no better bankers for travelers to 
apply to for letters of credit than the above 
firm. 

I was also in constant fear of being overtaken 
by one of those Syrian storms, that so frequently 
prevail at this season of the year, and which 
often lasts from a week to ten days at a time. 
In such a contingency, to travel might be abso- 
lutely impracticable, and the thought of being 
compelled to put up in Arab quarters for such a 
length of time, was perfectly horrible. 

But the unceasing anxiety of being robbed, 
and perhaps murdered, by lawless bands of Be- 
douins, with which the country is infested, that 
followed me day and night like some horrid 
night-mare all through Samaria and Galilee, was 
the most depressing feature of my journey. 
Do you wonder that under all these adverse 



My Experience in Palestine. 389 



influences upon body and mind, that I became 
gaunt and lean ? Even this of itself became a 
source of anxiety, least my health should break 
down under the severe pressure. Should I be 
taken sick upon this route, I was sure I would 
never recover. With no physician or medicine 
within reach ; with tw T o thin bed-quilts, and a 
stone floor for a bed ; with only such food as I 
could scarcely eat when well ; surrounded with 
Arabs only, who cared not a fig for my welfare ; 
and then to be nursed by those w T hose interest 
would be promoted by my death, as that would 
put them in possession of what funds I might 
have on my person ; what chance would there 
be for my life ? But thanks to a kind Provi- 
dence, I have lived through it all. And now, I 
have no regrets for anything that I have suffer- 
ed, but am exceedingly glad that I have perse- 
vered in going through northern Palestine in 
spite of discouragements and warnings of 
friends ; yet I am free to say, that no considera- 
tion would induce me to go through this route 
again at this season of the year, when tents can 
not be used, and without one or more traveling 
companions. The journey, however,, has been 
accomplished, and I am content. 

Indeed, I now look back upon even my toils, 
privations, anxieties and alarms with a certain 
kind of satisfaction. They w^lll hereafter mingle 
with sacJffed recollections as lights and shades 
upon the canvass of life's picture. I shall, in 



390 Wonders of the East. 

connection with them, henceforth read and 
think of the Holy Land as a wonderful reality 
and tangibility, presenting most marvelous de- 
monstrations of the truth of Revelation. 



LETTER XL. 

EMBARKATION FOR ASIA MINOR. 

Bay of Acre. — Method of Loading and Tin 
loading Vessels. — My Trouble with an Arab 
who carried me through the Surf. — His ras- 
cally extortion. — Difficulty with a Lightens 
Crew. — Threaten to use my pistol. 

MY original plan was to take an Austrian 
steamer from Caifa to Beyroot, and I 
had accordingly planned my journey so as to 
meet her at this point. The night before she 
was due. however, a heavy storm set in from 
the westward, and raged with such fury that 
she passed by without stopping. This, I am 
told, frequently happens at this season of the 
year. The bay of Acre can hardly be called a 
harbor, as it is an open cove of the sea, forming 
a sort of roadstead ; perhaps better expressed 
as a segment of an irregular circle, the cord of 
which is about nine miles long. Consequently 
when the wind blows from the west or north- 



Embarkation for Asia Minor. 391 

west it affords no protection whatever to its 
shipping. And yet it is the best harbor on the 
entire coast, 

The process of loading and unloading vessels 
here is peculiar and novel, especially to an 
American. As ships are compelled to anchor 
gome distance from the shore, on account of the 
shallowness of the water, small lighters are 
employed to transfer their cargoes to and from 
them. The singular part of it, however, is in 
the manner of conveying the goods from the 
lighter to the shore, and vice versa. As there 
are no docks or wharves of any kind ; nothing 
but the natural beach of sand, upon which the 
waves are always breaking with more or less 
violence, the lighters are anchored just outside 
of the breakers, and the merchandise, when not 
too bulky, is carried on the shoulders of stal- 
wart Arabs through the surf, to or from them 
as the case may be ; while large casks and other 
articles too heavy to be thus carried, and which 
are not liable to be seriously injured by being 
wet, are put into the water, and floated to or 
from the vessel, according to circumstances. 
Whenever, in consequence of high and unfavor- 
able winds, the sea is boisterous, all business of 
this kind has to be suspended. In consequence 
of this, it often happens that, for several days 
in succession, cargoes can neither be received 
nor discharged. 

In embarking for Asia Minor I had an oppor- 



39 2 



Wonders of the East, 



tunity of testing the excellencies of this mode 
of surf transportation, as well as the avaricious 
character of these insatiable Arabs. I was to 
take passage on board a French steamer that 
lay anchored about a mile from shore, and in 
connection with which lighters were running 
backward and forward with merchandise. 
Finding a Greek, who was acting as interpreter, 
I made a bargain through him with an owner 
of one of these lighters to put me on board of 
the steamer. Having paid him about three 
times what I ought to have paid, and which he 
told me included all the backsheesh^ I announced 
myself as ready to embark. Upon this he 
called a tall, stout-looking Arab from among 
the gang who were in his employ, and directed 
him to carry me through the surf and put me 
on board of his lighter, which was about ready 
to start for the steamer. As he came up from 
the water to the platform upon which I was 
standing, my interpreter directed me to get on 
his shoulders astride his neck. Although this 
was not to me the most desirable form of loco- 
motion, I could see no alternative under the 
circumstances ; and as no time was to be lost, 
I was compelled, without much reflection or 
hesitation, to commit myself wholly to the 
tender mercies of this Ishmaelite. 

Having adjusted myself to this novel and 
elevated position, in which I must have made, 
in connection with this naked Arab, a most lu- 



Embarkation for Asia Minor. 393 

dicrous appearance, he at once started with his, 
to rne, precious load for the lighter. We passed 
through the surf, which was at the time not 
high, in safety, though not without some fear 
upon my part lest he should make a misstep, 
lose his balance and pitch me headlong into the 
water. But when he came within about seven 
feet of the boat, I encountered a new and unex- 
pected difficulty. The rascal, upon whose 
shoulders I was riding, suddenly stopped and 
demanded backsheesh. As I had paid all I had 
been asked to pay to put me on board of the 
steamer, I at once determined not to submit to 
this mean and villainous attempt at extortion. 
Accordingly, I promptly replied that I had paid 
all the backsheesh to him, pointing to his em- 
ployer, or rather to where I had just before left 
him, but who I now saw had in the meantime 
left his position, and who now seemed to be 
out of sight. Just at that moment, however, I 
caught a glimpse of him, as he, in company 
with the interpreter, passed through the door 
into the warehouse, a short distance up the 
street, from whence the goods were being 
brought to the lighters. But instead of this 
statement satisfying him, he repeated his de- 
mand more sternly and with stronger emphasis : 

u Me backsheesh ! me backsheesh /" pointing 
to himself at the same time, that I might the 
better understand his broken English. 

" No, no ! No more backsheesh" was my 



394 



Wonders of the East. 



emphatic reply ; reiterating most distinctly 
what I had stated to him before. 

" Me backsheesh ! me backsheesh f" was re- 
peated by him with more vehemence than 
before, and with more violent gesticulations. 

a Put me on board that lighter," I exclaimed, 
with all the authority that I could command, 
pointing to the boat that was almost within my 
reach. But with a mulish stubbornness that he 
may have contracted from long-eared associa- 
tions, he positively refused ; and not only re- 
fused, but, horrors ! he replied in broken 
English : 

"Me no backsheesh, you no boat; me no 
backsheesh, you water;" at the same time suit- 
ing the action to the last sentence, he plunged 
both hands into the water by way of illustra- 
tion. 

Things began to wear a serious aspect of an 
aquatic type. I was not exactly prepared to be 
immersed, and even if I had been I was not 
willing to have the ceremony performed by such 
a cold-hearted barbarian. To add to my em- 
barrassment, I had no small change, except 
about a dozen pieces of different valuations and 
designs, which 1 had gathered in Egypt and 
Syria, as curious specimens of their currency, 
and as mementos for friends and home purposes. 
As I did not wish to part with these I hesitated. 
Upon this he seized me by one arm and com- 
menced to drag me from his shoulders, to carry 



Embarkation for Asia Minor. 395 



out his threat. As he evidently had the advan- 
tage of me, and paid no attention to remon- 
strances, I deemed it expedient to quickly thrust 
my hand into my pocket, exclaiming at the 
same time, " backsheesh" This had the po- 
tency of arresting my descent, and loosening 
his grasp. Having placed a part of my choice 
coins in his hand, as he looked them over, I 
readjusted myself on his shoulders, with a feel- 
ing of satisfaction that the struggle was over. 

" Now," said I, supposing that I had satisfied 
his avaricious soul, "put me on the lighter," 
pointing to her at the same time that he might 
not misunderstand me ; but he still refused, and 
as resolutely as ever demanded more back- 
sheesh. 

66 No," I indignantly replied ; but all in vain. 
He knew himself to be master of the situation, 
and having tested the virtues of his water argu- 
ment, he immediately appealed to it again with 
such demonstrations of earnestness as distinctly 
foretold that nothing but backsheesh would save 
me. Again my hand went into my pocket with 
a perfect dive, just in time to save me from a 
worse dive. As I handed him the coins that 1 
had thus hastily grabbed, he glanced them over, 
and, as before, transferred them to his other 
hand, and then the heartless villain demanded 
more. 

What to do I did not know. I begged of him 
to put me on the lighter. I called on the Arabs 



39^ 



Wonders of the East. 



standing near by to help me. I threatened my 
tormentor, and even raised my clenched fist over 
his head, but whether he knew that I was afraid 
to strike, or whether he wanted a pretext for 
downright violence, I know not; one thing I 
know, my coaxing and threatening all amounted 
to nothing. He stood apparently as immovable 
as a rock, meeting my every appeal to him with 
the provoking cry of " backsheesh" accompa- 
nied with muscular demonstrations that were 
not to be ignored ; and, consequently, the third 
time I rushed my hand into my pocket, but not 
in time to save me from a partial wetting. As 
I handed him the money, he hastily glanced it 
over, and transferring it to his other hand, as 
before, and then shrieked out again, u more 
backsheesh." 

It was now evident to my mind that this vil- 
lainous measure would be repeated, if not re- 
sisted, until he had filched from me the very 
last farthing. And yet I saw no way of escap- 
ing from his clutches, or of successfully opposing 
his rascally method of extortion. I was sur- 
rounded with Arabs only, who were looking on 
my helplessness with evident relish anci satisfac- 
tion. The man whom I had paid, and the inter- 
preter, the only persons to whom I could look 
for protection and sympathy, were out of sight 
and out of reach. What was I to do ? I might 
submit to be plunged into the water, if that 
were all. But it occurred to me that this might 



Embarkation for Asia Minor. 397 



not end the matter. I would still be in his 
hands, and at his mercy. He could as well 
adopt a method of compulsory extortion with 
me in the water, as he could with me on his 
shoulder. Should I still refuse him, he might 
hold me under the water longer than would be 
pleasant or safe. To save myself and my money, 
I now resorted to deception. I thrust my hand 
into my pocket for the fourth time, and drew it 
out with nothing, and showed him its emptiness, 
and then went through my other pockets in the 
same manner. "When I had in this manner 
satisfied him that I had no more money, he put 
me, with some hesitation, on board of the lighter, 
where I felt that I was free again. I even con- 
gratulated myself on getting off as well as I did. 
The boat immediately started for the ship, and 
I felt that my troubles with these abominable 
Arabs were ended. 

When we were about half way to the steamer, 
however, a new difficulty arose. The four Arabs 
in charge of the lighter here stopped rowing, 
and demanded backsheesh. As I said " No," 
most resolutely and emphatically, they imme- 
diately became clamorous, and profiting by 
what they had seen done in the surf, they 
pointed to the water, and by motions showed 
me that unless I gave them backsheesh I would 
go overboard. I was now determined to resist 
to the last, and firmly resolved that I would go 
overboard before I would submit again to such 



39§ 



Wonders of the East 



barefaced robbery ; and, especially, as I believed 
1 could swim ashore. As I said no in a de- 
cided and spiteful tone to their repeated demand 
for backsheesh, they left their seats and started 
towards me, with the apparent design of laying 
hands on me. Upon this, for the purpose of 
frightening them, I drew my revolver, and 
assumed a threatening attitude, which had the 
effect to bring them to a halt. As I stood in 
the stern of the boat, I held a good position. 
They blustered for a while, but finding me firm, 
they had the good sense to abandon their pur- 
pose, and return to their oars. When I had 
reached the ship, and felt that I was safe, as I 
stood upon the deck I took out my choice coins 
to see how many I had left, when I found, to 
my surprise, that there were only three out of 
the twelve, and these of very small value. I 
was more provoked on this occasion than I had 
been before since I had left the States. My 
best and choicest pieces were all gone, and no 
opportunity left to replace them. And I am 
sorry to say that my opinion of the amiability 
of Arabs had not been improved by my inter- 
course with them ; so I now, with much plea- 
sure, bid them farewell. 



J ND EX. 



Absalom, Pillar of. 250 

Aceldama 259 

Acre, City of 367 

Adullum, Cave of 186 

Advice to Travelers. . 275 

Akra, Hill of 206 

Alexandria 147 

People of 148 



Costumes of. . 148 

History of 149 

Obelisks of ...151 
Pompey's Pil- 



lar of . . . 152 

Catacombs of. 153 

Pharos of. 149 

Alps 84 

Altar, Elijah's 380 

Anxiety in Palestine 387 

Aqueducts 197, 246, 247 

Arabs. Manner of Eating. 337 
Washing hands of. 338 
Travelings of, 293, 295 

Visit from. 341 

Difficulty with. . . .393 
Arab, Dwellings of.. 314, 331 

How built 315 

How furnished 315 

Sleeping in 338,342,356 

Arch of Titus 102 

of Ecce Homo . . . .217 
of Wilson 206 



Armaic Hebrew, Docu- * 

mentof 243 

Translation of 245 

Explanation of 243 

Astronomical Clock 83 

Baal, Prophets of 379 

Backsheesh, Demand of 

373-393 

Basle, City of 84 

Baths of the Emperors . . 103 

of Tiberias 333 

Bay of Acre 390 

Beatitudes, Mounts of. . .343 
Bedouins. Adventure with 323 
Appearance of. . 324 

Bethlehem 183 

Grotto of 184 

Interest of . . . . 185 

Bethany. ., 268 

Bezetha, Hill of 206 

Bethel 287 

Belfast 23 

Buildings of Pompeii 122 

of Jerusalem. . 210 

Birth of Christ 364 

Blarney Castle 18 

Boaz, Fields of 183 

Bonn 71 

Bridge of Sighs 94 

Bridges, Scarcity of 360 



4-00 



Index, 



Bridge of Tyropean Val 




lev 


240 




54 


Brook Kedron , 


263 


Cherith 


197 


Bunhill Fields 


56 


Business, ending of , 


212 


Byron, Quotation of 


, 18 




157 


People of 


157 


Streets of 


.158 




.159 


Well of 


.159 




.163 


Tombs of 


.166 


Cabul Lodgings in , 


356 


Calvary 


223 


Caifa , 


372 


Carnpo Santo , 


98 




329 


Carmel Mount 


375 


Castle Blarney 


18 


of Edinburgh 


30 


of Windsor 


63 


of Rolandseck. . . 


. 72 


of Heidelberg. . . . 


79 




159 




.215 




153 


Csttle of Palestine , 


358 


How Stabled 


354 


Cathedral of Dublin . . . 


. 22 


of Glasgow. . 


. 25 


of London . . 


. 39 


of Cologne. . , 


. 71 


of Frankfort. 


. 76 


of Strasburg. 


. 82 


of Milan . , , 


90 



Cathedral of Venice 94 

of Florence . . 96 

of Pisa 97 

of Borne 108 

of Naples ... 140 
CatholicPriest, anecdote of 19 

Cave of Adullum 186 

Cheops, Pyramids of . . . .168 

Cherith, Brook of 197 

Chickens, How Cleaned.. 385 
how Cooked ..386 
Christ, Sepulchre of. 180, 220 

Church of St. Mark 94 

of the Holy Sep- 
ulchre .. .180 

of Constantine. ..234 

Climate of Palestine 363 

Clock, Astronomical 83 

Coliseum of Borne 99 

Cologne, City of. 69 

Convent of Marsaba 189 

Cooking by Gabriel 386 

Cornfield of Christ 330 

Cork, City of 18 

Corruption, Mount of. .. .257 

Costumes of Egypt 149 

Count Salberg, Bemains 

of. 82 

Country of Palestine, 

278, 291, 325 

Crooked Ways 305 

Crucifixion 225 

Customs and Manners, 

Oriental 294 

David, Tower of 215 

Dead Sea 190 

Appearance of 191 

Buovancy of 191 



Index, 



401 



Dead Sea Properties of. . 191 

Depression of 192 

Effects of 192 

Desert of the Bed Sea. . .173 
Difficulty with an Arab . . 393 

Discouragements 272 

Document found in the 

Temple Wall 242 

Doge's Palace of Venice . 94 
Direction to Travelers . ..275 

Discovery of Pompeii 121 

Dividing Sheep and Goats 349 

How divided 349 

Why divided 349 

Donkeys of Palestine 358 

Donkey and Muleteer's 

Tussel . 310 

Dothan 311 

Drachenpels of the Rhine 72 
Dragoman, Bargain with 274 

Mishap of 308 

Settlement with. 373 

Translations of. 245 

Explanation of. 243 

Drought in Elijah's Time 378 
Dry Season in Palestine 362 
Dwellings, Oriental, 314, 331 

East Winds, Result of. . .382 
Eating, How performed 

by Arabs 337 

Ebal and Gerizin 302 

Edinburgh 29 

Castle of 30 

Palace of 32 

Greyfriars, Ce- 
metery of. 34 

Egypt ..148, 156 

Land of 155, 171 



Egypt, People of. . . .148, 157 
Costumes of. .149, 157 
Pyramids of 

163, 167, 171 

Obelisks of 151 

Sphynx of 170 

Mud-huts of 172 

Elijah, Sacrifice of 380 

Es Sackhrah 237 

Embarkation from Pales- 
tine 391 

Endor 321 

Esdrelon, Plains of 317 

Etam, Rock of 186 

Excavation 239 

Ecce Homo Arch 217 

Experience in Palestine .384 
Explanation of a Jewish 

Custom 243 

Extortion by an Arab .... 393 

Farming in Egypt 172 

in Palestine 358 

Feet, Beautiful .....292 

Field of Blood 259 

Fields of Palestine 295 

Fig Orchards 295 

Florence 95 

Cathedral of 96 

Palace of 97 

Churches of 97 

Flocks of Palestine. .291, 295 
How Attended.... 291 

How Lied.. 370 

How and why Di- 
vided, 349 

Fountain of Hezekiah . . . 246 
of the Virgin . . 254 



402 



Index. 



Fountain of Elisha 196 

Fowls, Boosting of. 353 

Frankfort-on-the-Main. . . 75 
Fright from Bedouins . . . 323 
Furgerson, Quotation of. 233 
Furniture of Arab Dwell- 
ings 315 

Gabriel, Fall of 308 

Gaiilee, Fertility of 325 

Sea of . . .334 

Garden of Gethsemane . . 265 

Gehenna, Valley of 208 

Geneva 85 

Gerizim, Mount of 302 

Gethsemane, Garden of. .265 

Gibeon, Site of 282 

Gibeah of Saul 284 

Gideon, Victory of. 318 

Gihon, Valley of. . . . 207, 260 
Lower Pool of ...260 
Gilboa, Saul's Death on .318 

Gilgal, Site of 191 

Glasgow 25 

Cathedral of. . . . 25 
Necropolis of . . . 28 
St. George's Sq.. 28 
Trungate, Street 

of 29 

Goats of Syria 371 

Golgotha. , 229 

Gondolas 93 

Grotto of the Shepherds. 181 
of Bethlehem 184 

Hands, Washing of 338 

Hardship of Traveling in 

Palestine 384 

Harod Spring 318 



Heathen Temples. . .104, 126 

Heidelberg 79 

Castle of 79 

St. Peter's Ch. 80 

Hens, Roosting of 353 

Herculaneum 133 

Amphitheatre of . . 133 

Library of 136 

Hermon Mount 313 

Hezekiah, Fountain of. . .246 
Hill Country of Judah. . .190 

Hill of Evil Council 258 

Hill Scopus 277 

Hinnom, Valley of. .207, 260 

Hippicus, Tower of 215 

History of Jerusalem . . . 200 

Holy Sepulchre 182, 219 

Appearance of . . . . 221 

Church of 180 

Horns of Hattin 343 

Horse Stabling 353 

House of Simon the Tan- 
ner , 177 

Houses of Jerusalem . . . 210 

of Arabs 350 

How constructed 351 

Interest in Palestine 382 

Ireland 17, 24 

Island ol Crete 147 

Jacob's Well 298 

Jaffa 176 

History of 177 

Jehoshaphat, Valley of . . 249 
Tomb of. .251 
Jenin, the Engannim . . .314 

Jericho, Site of 195 

Fountain of .... 196 



Index. 



403 



Jericho, Reservoir of 197 

Reflection on . . . 195 

Jerusalem 180, 199 

History of ... . 200 
Appearance of 

214, 278 
Topography of 204 

Walls of. 208 

Gates of 210 

Houses of. . 210 

Streets of 211 

Population of. .213 
Public Build- 
ings of. . .215 

Tower of 215 

Via Dolorosa of. 216 
Sepulchre of. ..219 

Sects of 213 

Calvary of!,;. . .223 
Temple area of 235 
Jews' Palace of Wailing. 241 

Jezebel, Death of. 319 

Jezreel, Valley of 317 

City of 319 

Job, Well of 257 

Joppa 176 

Jordan. 192 

Appearance of . . ..193 

Size of 193 

Reflection on 192 

Joseph's Well 159 

Tomb of 301 

Kedron, Valley of . .207, 263 

Kelven Grove Park 29 

Kildare, Plains of 21 

Kishon River 371 

Lake of Tiberias ........ 334 



Lamps, Necessity of 212 

How carried 213 

Last Supper, Painting of. 91 

Lazarus, Tomb of 269 

Leaning Tower, Pisa 98 

Letter found in the Tem- 
ple Wall 242 

Translation of 245 

Explanation of 243 

Library of Herculaneum.136 
Limerick, Interview with 

a Priest 19 

Literary Curiosity 242 

Loading Vessels, How. . .390 
Lodging in Arab Houses, 

342,356 

London 36 

History of 37 

Cathedral of 39 

Abby of "41 

Tower of 45 

Museum of 54 

Bunhill, Field of. 56 
Palace of 58 

Luther's Heroism 77 

Statue of 78 

Madam Adocht, Trance of 70 
Manners and Customs, 

Oriental 337 

Marriage, Custom of 346 

Massaba, Convert of 189 

Marshal Saxe's Tomb 81 

Mayence, City of 74 

Memphis, Site of 171 

Midianites, Overthrow of. 318 

Milan 89 

Cathedral of 90 

Mizpeh 281 



404 



Index. 



Money, Parable of. 315 

Money, Anxiety about... 387 
Mosque of Mohammed Ali, 

160 

of Sultan Hassen 164 
of Tyloon.......l65 

of Omer 236 

Mountains of Palestine . . 180 
Walking on. ..292 

Mount Carmel 375 

Cenis Tunnel 87 

Ebal andGerizin..302 

Gilboa, 318 

Hermon 313 

Moriah 206, 235 

Olivet 266 

Tabor 321 

Vesuvius 118 

Zion 205 

of Beatitudes 343 

of Offence 257 

of Corruption. . . .257 

Mud-huts of Egypt 172 

Muleteer's Tussel with 

his Donkey 310 

Mule Falling with Ga- 
briel 308 

Museum. British 54 

of Edinburgh. . 34 

of Naples 141 

Martyrs of Edinburgh. .. 35 

Xablous 303 

Nain 320 

Naples 137 

Churches of 138 

Statuary of. 138 

Museum of 141 

Narrow Ways 305 



Nazareth 326 

Reflections on. .327 

Necropolis of Glasgow 28 

Nero, Character of 106 

Night, Walking in 212 

Nile River 161 

Nob, Site of 279 

Destruction of 280 

Obelisks 151 

Ocean, Reflection on 15 

Old Paths 293 

Olin, Quotation from 234 

Olivet, Mount of 266 

Omar, Mosque of 236 

Orange Groves at Jaffa . . . 178 
Oriental Customs and 

Manners 294 

Overthrow of Pompeii . . 120 

Palace of Edinburg 32 

of Westminster . . 58 

of Turin 88 

of Venice 94 

of Florence 97 

of Cairo 167 

Painting of Last Supper. 91 
Palestine, Soil. .190, 291, 325 
Weather of . . . 361 

Rains of 361 

Temperature . . 363 
Dry Season of. 362 
Villages of.... 294 
Mountains of.. 180 
Manner and Cus- 
toms of 294 

Parable of the Sower. . . .306 

Lost Coin 315 

Sheep and Goats 350 



Index. 



405 



Paths of Palestine. .293, 360 


Pyramid, Elusions of. . 


.168 




1 ^9 


Situation of. . . 


.168 




250 


Form and Size.. 168 




. 97 




169 


Cathedral of 


. 97 






Campo Santo of 


98 




17 


Leaning Tower of. 


. 98 


Quotation from Byron . 


. 16 


Pitti Palace of Florence 


. 97 


from Furgerson 233 




.223 


from Spencer . 


.233 


of Wailing 


241 


from Williams 


.233 


of Blessing and 




234 




302 






Plains of Sharon 


179 




186 


Jericho 


194 




361 


of Moreh 


298 




285 


of Esdrelon . . . 


317 




178 


Plows in Palestine 


358 


Bed Sea, Tide of 


174 


Plowing in Winter 


359 




173 


Pompeii 


119 


Remains of Count Nassau 


Overthrow of . . . 


.120 




. 82 


Discovery of. . 


.121 


of Borromeo . 


. 91 


Buildings of . . 


.122 


Eeservoir of Jericho . 


.197 


Streets of .... . 


125 


of Bethel 


290 


Temples of . . . 


126 




166 


Skeletons of. . . 


.130 


Jordan 


192 


Paintings of. . . 


.141 


Roads in Palestine. .190, 360 


Household Uten- 


Robbery, Story of 


340 




141 


Roland, Love Story of. . 


. 72 


Statuary of 


142 




. 72 


Jewelry of 


143 


Rome 


98 


Pompey's Pillar 


152 


Ruins of 


103 


Pools of Solomon 


185 




99 


Pool of Hezekiah 


246 


Arches of 


102 




.260 


Baths of 


103 


Bethesda 




Temples of 


104 


Siloam 


256 


Palaces of 


105 


Potter's Field 


259 


St. Pfttp.r'a nf 


10ft 




.145 


St. John's Lateran.114 


Pyramid Cheops 


167 


Scala Santa of . . . 


.115 



4o6 



Index, 



Roof of Houses in Pales- 
tine 315 

Rosetta Stone 55 

Rotterdam 67 

Rough Ways 190 

Rump of Sheep 371 

Sacrifice of Elijah 380 

Saddle, Syrian 384 

Sakhrah, Sacred Rock... 237 

Salt Losing its Savor 362 

Sainaria, Country of 306 

City of 304 

Columns of 305 

Woman of ....299 

Samuel, Home of 281 

Saul, Gibeah of 284 

Scala Santa 115 

Sea of Galilee 334 

of Sodom 190 

Sepulchre of Christ, 182, 219 

Place of 227 

Tradition of. .230 

Sepulchres, Whited 253 

Sharon, Plains of 177 

Shechem, City of. .303 

Sheep of Syria ..371 

Shepherds of Palestine. . .291 

Sheepfold 248 

Shiloh 296 

Shunem 320 

Siloam, Pool of 256 

Silver, Parable of .315 

Simon the Tanner 177 

Sitting on the Floor, 315,351 
Skeletons of Pompeii. . . .130 
Sleeping, Manner of. . . . .356 

Slippery Places 305 

Solomon's Pools 185 



Sphynx 170 

Sorrowful Way 216 

Sowing in Palestine 306 

Spring, Harod 318 

St. Paul's Cathedral ... .39 
St. Mark's of Venice. . . . 94 
St. Peter's of Heidelberg 80 

St. Peter's of Rome 108 

St. John's Lateran 114 

St. James's Tomb 252 

Stabling Animals 354 

Statuary of Pompeii 142 

of Naples 138 

Still Waters 347 

Storm at Sea 147 

Storms in Palestine 388 

Strasburg 80 

Bombardment of 80 
Cathedral of.... 82 

Clock of 83 

Streets of Venice 93 

of Pompeii 142 

of Cairo 158 

of Jerusalem ... .211 
Stumbling in the Night ..212 

Suez 174 

Syria, Saddles of 384 

Storms of 388 

Tabor, Mount 321 

Telegraph, Gabriel's Views 

of 365 

Temples of Rome 104 

of Pompeii. . . . 126 
Temperature of Weather, 

363, 361 
Temple of Mohammed Ali, 

160 

of Sultan Hassen, 164 



Index. 





165 




299 




236 


Wall of 


241 


Writing from 242 


Mosque of 


236 




332 


People of 


333 




.339 




342 


Baths of 


333 


Lake of 


334 


Supper in 


336 




175 


Timber, Scarcity of ... . 


291 


Time, How Reckoned in 




294 


Titus, Arch of 


102 


Tombs in Bunhill Fields 


. 56 


of Mamelukes and 


Caliphs 


166 


Tomb of Marshal Saxe. . 


. 81 




186 




219 


of Jehoshaphat. . . 


.251 


of St. J ames . ... 


.252 




252 


of Virgin Mary . . . 


.264 




269 




301 


Tombs of the Kings . 


261 


of the Judges . , , 


262 


ToDhet 


20R 


Topography of Jerusalem. 204 


Tower of London 


45 


of Hippicus 


215 




98 


Towers in Fields 


296 


Tradition of Sepulchre. . 


.230 



407 

Traveling 295, 384 

Tunnel, Mount Cenis 87 

Turin 87 

Tyropean Valley 205 

Valley of Gihon 207, 260 

of Hinnom 207, 260 

of Jehoshaphat. . 207, 249 

of Kedron 249 

Tyropean 205 

of Shechem 302 

Vatican 112 

Vault under the Temple 

Area 240 

Venice 93 

Streets of. 93 

Bridges of 93 

Gondolas of 93 

St. Mark's, Church of. 94 

Palace of. 94 

Verona ? 92 

Vesuvius 118 

Via Dolorosa 216 

Villages, Location of 294 

Vineyards, Protection of.. 295 

Towers of 296 

Virgin, Fountain of. 254 

Tomb of. 264 

Victuals in Palestine 337 

How Eaten 337 

Wailing Place of Jews . . . 241 

Walls of Jerusalem 208 

Wall of Temple Area ... .241 
Walking in the Night.. . .212 
on Mountains . . 292 
Washing Hands, Mode of. 338 

Watch Towers 296 

Water, How Carried 295 



408 



Index. 



Water, How Obtained.. . .295 
Ways or Roads in Pales- 
tine 360 

Narrow Ways, 190, 305 
Crooked Ways . . . .305 
Rough Ways.. 190, 308 

Slippery Ways 305 

Weather in Palestine 361 

Temperature of. .363 

Well of Joseph 159 

of Job 257 

of Jacob 298 

Wells, How to obtain 

Water from ....... 295 

Westminster Abbey 41 

Palace of. .. 58 

Hall of 62 

WestWind,Resultof, 276, 382 

Wet Season 362 

Whited Sepulchres 253 

Wilson's Arch 206 

Windsor Castle 63 



Winter in Palestine. 291, 361 
Traveling in. .295, 389 

Plowing in 359 

Woman losing a piece of 

Silver 315 

Woman of Samaria 299 

Women of Palestine 344 

How Treated.. . .293 

Labor of 344 

Traveling of ... .293 

Slavery of 345 

Work of 344 

Worms, City of 77 

Statuary of 78 

Writing Found in the 

Temple Wall. ...242 

Translation of 245 

Explanation of 243 

Zachariah, Tomb of . . .252 
Zion, Mount of 205 



Index of Scripture Texts, 

That are especially explained and illustrated by the cus- 
toms and manners of the Holy Land, as seen by the author. 

Psalms xxiii : 2 347 Matthew xxvi : 23 338 

Proverbs xx : 4 359 Luke xi : 5-8 339 

Isaiah lii : 7 292 xv : 8 316 

Jeremiah vi : 16 294 John iv : 3-30 300 

Matthew v : 13 362 iv : 46-53 331 

xiii : 3-8 306 x : 4-27 371 

xxi : 33 296 Ephesians vi : 13-17 142 

xxv : 32 250 



